Drake University

Drake University's program mix is anchored in business and professional fields, reflecting the institution's identity as a private research university in Iowa's capital. Digital Marketing is the largest program with 60 graduates, followed by Psychology, General, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Non-Professional Legal Studies, and Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.

Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 784 students annually, several deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes aligned with national demand in applied business and professional services. The earnings pattern reflects Business concentration.

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods leads with median earnings of $97,132 four years after enrollment across 41 graduates, followed by Artificial Intelligence with $90,639 and Digital Marketing with $71,246. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication graduates earn $63,302, and Journalism earns $62,969.

These programs span applied professional pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect regional and national labor-market outcomes in finance, accounting, management, and related fields. Drake University's program portfolio emphasizes career-ready credentials in high-demand sectors.

The concentration in Business at 24%, combined with meaningful enrollment in Social Sciences at 8% and Arts at 7%, positions graduates for direct entry into professional roles where employer recruitment is active and wage growth is steady. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these dominant program families align with labor-market demand across regions.

Drake University's published cost of attendance is $64,835. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $25,824, middle-income families pay around $25,171, and higher-income families pay approximately $33,126.

Azimuth ranks Drake University #1110 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Drake University uses the FAFSA to determine need-based aid eligibility. The institution participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs.

Merit scholarships are also available for qualifying students, which can further reduce the net price below the need-based figures shown. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $26,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $65,232, median federal debt of $23,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $260 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Drake University earn median 4-year earnings of $65,232, placing Drake University in the 70.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,431 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Drake University in the 31.1 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Drake University #533 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Drake University's concentration in business and professional fields.

Digital Marketing is the largest program with 60 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $71,246, delivering 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. The Psychology, General program graduates 48 students with median 4-year earnings of $47,706, while Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication and Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods round out the top programs with 47 and 41 graduates respectively.

These programs anchor Drake University's consistent long-term financial outcomes for students pursuing careers in accounting, finance, management, and related professional disciplines.