Elon University vs Drake University

Elon University and Drake University, both esteemed private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Elon boasts a higher acceptance rate (72%) compared to Drake's (65%), making it slightly easier to gain admission. While Elon's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 7% of the population, Drake's student body is predominantly White (78%). Both universities excel in different areas: Elon is known for its strong programs in business, communications, and education, while Drake is recognized for its pharmacy, law, and business programs. With Elon's higher graduation rate (84%) compared to Drake's (79%), students at Elon are more likely to complete their degrees within four years. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Drake University	Elon University
Overview
Location	Des Moines, Iowa	Elon, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	69.1%	77.7%
Application fees	$70	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1190 - 1410	N/A
ACT range	25 - 31	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	14.0%
Students submitting ACT score	43.0%
Total number of applicants	7,932	17,834
Total number of admissions given out	5,479	13,859
Admitted students who chose to enroll	759	1,591
Yield rate	13.9%	11.5%
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	$62,125	$55,647
Average net price	$29,507	$40,366
Tuition	$45,734	$38,218
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,160 Meal plan: $5,128	Room/dormitory: $6,593 Meal plan: $6,829
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,904	67.0% Average amount $13,677
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,294	30.0% Average amount $5,259
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $18,053	7.0% Average amount $25,192

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,902 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%	6,302 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
Graduate students	1,973 Men 33.4% Women 66.6%	825 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	68.0%	80.6%
International students	2.9%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,758	4,192
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Minnesota Illinois Wisconsin Texas	North Carolina New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Legal Profession Communication and Journalism	Business Legal Profession Health Professions Communication and Journalism Education
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	78.2%	83.3%
Dropout rate	20.2%	16.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,556 Year 2: $104,061 Year 3: $105,320 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,803 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $78,720 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,320 Year 2: $60,016 Year 3: $77,567 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,276 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $77,220 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,564 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $76,604 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,888 Year 2: $69,629 Year 3: $70,208 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,091 Year 2: $50,022 Year 3: $64,255 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,189 Year 3: $59,817 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,293 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $58,053 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,055 Year 3: $55,617

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