The average acceptance rate at Drake over the past 10 years is 67.20%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 63.85%.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 3 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 15.92%, and the 2025 yield is 9.80%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 46.82% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Drake applicants increased by 27.54% (2,132 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 51.57% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 63.85%, representing an increasingly selective admissions process. This indicates that Drake has become more competitive over the past decade, as the institution receives a growing number of applications while maintaining or reducing the number of admitted students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 9.80%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Drake. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Drake received approximately 9,873 applications, admitted 6,304 students, and enrolled 618 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Drake is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
Drake 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Drake over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 3 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 67.20%, while the most recent rate stands at 63.85%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 63.85%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 63.34% and for women is 70.54%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Drake have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 66.87% | 64.28% | 68.72% |
| 2016-17 | 68.95% 2.07% |
65.27% 0.99% |
71.80% 3.09% |
| 2017-18 | 68.80% -0.14% |
65.09% -0.18% |
71.63% -0.17% |
| 2018-19 | 67.66% -1.14% |
65.51% 0.42% |
69.26% -2.37% |
| 2019-20 | 67.64% -0.02% |
64.82% -0.70% |
69.58% 0.32% |
| 2020-21 | 67.92% 0.28% |
64.11% -0.71% |
70.71% 1.13% |
| 2021-22 | 69.00% 1.08% |
65.01% 0.91% |
72.00% 1.29% |
| 2022-23 | 67.23% -1.77% |
63.03% -1.99% |
71.08% -0.92% |
| 2023-24 | 64.13% -3.11% |
58.88% -4.15% |
71.34% 0.26% |
| 2024-25 | 63.85% -0.28% |
57.41% -1.47% |
69.31% -2.02% |
| Average | 67.20% | 63.34% | 70.54% |
Drake has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 18.43% in 2015 to 9.80% in 2025, representing a 46.82% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 15.92%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Drake from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 46.82% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 18.43% | 18.45% | 18.43% |
| 2016-17 | 22.49% 4.06% |
22.19% 3.74% |
22.60% 4.18% |
| 2017-18 | 19.84% -2.65% |
20.25% -1.94% |
19.56% -3.05% |
| 2018-19 | 16.10% -3.75% |
15.30% -4.95% |
16.66% -2.90% |
| 2019-20 | 16.65% 0.55% |
16.09% 0.79% |
17.00% 0.34% |
| 2020-21 | 16.40% -0.25% |
16.60% 0.51% |
16.27% -0.73% |
| 2021-22 | 14.00% -2.41% |
12.98% -3.62% |
13.99% -2.29% |
| 2022-23 | 12.65% -1.35% |
12.10% -0.88% |
13.08% -0.90% |
| 2023-24 | 12.87% 0.23% |
11.62% -0.49% |
13.79% 0.70% |
| 2024-25 | 9.80% -3.07% |
9.36% -2.26% |
10.14% -3.65% |
| Average | 15.92% | 15.49% | 16.15% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 7,167, the average number of admitted is 4,800, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 736.
The number of Drake applicants increased by 27.54% (2,132 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 51.57% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Drake University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 6,514 | 4,356 | 803 |
| 2016-17 | 4,959 -23.87% |
3,419 -21.51% |
769 -4.23% |
| 2017-18 | 5,574 12.40% |
3,835 12.17% |
761 -1.04% |
| 2018-19 | 6,886 23.54% |
4,659 21.49% |
750 -1.45% |
| 2019-20 | 6,944 0.84% |
4,697 0.82% |
782 4.27% |
| 2020-21 | 6,624 -4.61% |
4,499 -4.22% |
738 -5.63% |
| 2021-22 | 7,932 19.75% |
5,473 21.65% |
766 3.79% |
| 2022-23 | 8,621 8.69% |
5,796 5.90% |
733 -4.31% |
| 2023-24 | 7,741 -10.21% |
4,964 -14.35% |
639 -12.82% |
| 2024-25 | 9,873 27.54% |
6,304 26.99% |
618 -3.29% |
| Average | 7,167 | 4,800 | 736 |
The following table compares Drake University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake University | 64.13% | 63.85% | -0.44% |
| Loyola University Chicago | 81.60% | 81.39% | 0.26% |
| University of Northern Iowa | 92.74% | 94.40% | -1.76% |
| Illinois State University | 88.15% | 89.01% | -0.97% |
| Bradley University | 76.76% | 76.66% | 0.13% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield | 90.53% | 91.05% | -0.57% |
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