Drake University vs Buena Vista University

Drake University and Buena Vista University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Iowa, offer distinct educational experiences. Drake, a private university in Des Moines, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Buena Vista's (68%). Drake's larger student body reflects its urban setting, while Buena Vista's smaller size fosters a close-knit community in the charming town of Storm Lake. While Drake excels in fields like business, law, and pharmacy, Buena Vista shines in areas such as education, nursing, and exercise science. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Drake's at 79% and Buena Vista's at 68%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Buena Vista University	Drake University
Overview
Location	Storm Lake, Iowa	Des Moines, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	84.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.0%	69.1%
Application fees		$70
SAT range	963 - 1140	1190 - 1410
ACT range	18 - 25	25 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	14.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	1,749	7,932
Total number of admissions given out	1,154	5,479
Admitted students who chose to enroll	237	759
Yield rate	20.5%	13.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,162	$62,125
Average net price	$18,532	$29,507
Tuition	$37,518	$45,734
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256	Room/dormitory: $6,160 Meal plan: $5,128
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $31,137	100.0% Average amount $29,904
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,750	48.0% Average amount $5,294
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $5,551	15.0% Average amount $18,053

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	2,902 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
Graduate students	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%	1,973 Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	68.0%
International students	0.5%	2.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	836	1,758
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Texas Nebraska Minnesota Arizona	Iowa Minnesota Illinois Wisconsin Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science	Education Health Professions Business Legal Profession Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	78.2%
Dropout rate	36.8%	20.2%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,501 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,003 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,278 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,709 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,249 Year 2: $45,455 Year 3: $48,387 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,936 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $46,768 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,901 Year 2: $47,494 Year 3: $46,501 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,530 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $45,327 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,042 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $45,181 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,301 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $44,742 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,198 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $43,790 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,262 Year 2: $37,819 Year 3: $37,074	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $113,335 Year 3: $126,268 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $93,514 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,552 Year 2: $78,971 Year 3: $92,797 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $80,038 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,587 Year 2: $71,255 Year 3: $78,000 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,903 Year 2: $62,409 Year 3: $72,353 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,700 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $71,750 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,167 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $70,579 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,063 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $67,788 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $61,460 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $65,013

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