Simpson College vs Drake University

Simpson College and Drake University, both esteemed institutions in Iowa, offer distinct educational experiences. Simpson, a private liberal arts college, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention, while Drake, a private research university, emphasizes hands-on learning and global engagement. With Simpson's acceptance rate hovering around 70% and Drake's at 75%, both institutions welcome a diverse student body. While Simpson's student population is predominantly White, Drake's is more racially and ethnically diverse. In terms of academics, Simpson excels in fields like biology, psychology, and business, while Drake offers a wider range of programs, including engineering, law, and pharmacy. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Simpson's at 65% and Drake's at 70%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two outstanding institutions.
Drake University logo

Drake University

Simpson College logo

Simpson College

Overview

Location Des Moines, Iowa Indianola, Iowa
Campus setting City: Midsize Town: Fringe
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% 70.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 69.1% 90.8%
Application fees $70
SAT range 1190 - 1410 890 - 1280
ACT range 25 - 31 20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 14.0% 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 43.0% 35.0%
Total number of applicants 7,932 1,330
Total number of admissions given out 5,479 1,208
Admitted students who chose to enroll 759 286
Yield rate 13.9% 23.7%
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 $56,520
Average net price $29,507 $20,986
Tuition $45,734 $43,124
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,160

Meal plan: $5,128
Room/dormitory: $4,680

Meal plan: $4,974
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
100.0%
Average amount $34,582
Students receiving federal student loan 48.0%
Average amount $5,294
73.0%
Average amount $5,158
Students taking out private loans 15.0%
Average amount $18,053
16.0%
Average amount $10,172

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,902
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
1,172
Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Graduate students 1,973
Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
46
Men 39.1% Women 60.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 68.0% 28.9%
International students 2.9% 1.4%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 1,758 1,264
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 Iowa Arizona Texas Missouri Nebraska

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Education
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 78.2% 68.9%
Dropout rate 20.2% 30.8%
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
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,021
  • Year 2: $73,041
  • Year 3: $81,168
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,180
  • Year 2: $54,509
  • Year 3: $62,305
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,866
  • Year 2: $49,787
  • Year 3: $53,487
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,401
  • Year 2: $42,012
  • Year 3: $46,368
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,370
  • Year 2: $36,668
  • Year 3: $44,730
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,991
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,375
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,249
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $41,996
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,017
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $41,102
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,449
  • Year 2: $32,029
  • Year 3: $38,526
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $35,030

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