Drexel acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Drexel University · Private nonprofit · Philadelphia, PA · 13,589 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Drexel admitted 77.5% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 81.5% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $64,212 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 81.5% | 43,945 | 35,815 |
| 2014 | 76.0% | 47,477 | 36,088 |
| 2015 | 74.7% | 28,757 | 21,494 |
| 2016 | 74.6% | 28,532 | 21,298 |
| 2017 | 79.0% | 28,454 | 22,489 |
| 2018 | 76.9% | 30,242 | 23,267 |
| 2019 | 74.7% | 31,824 | 23,771 |
| 2020 | 77.2% | 31,237 | 24,112 |
| 2021 | 82.6% | 34,519 | 28,522 |
| 2022 | 79.6% | 37,040 | 29,487 |
| 2023 | 77.5% | 40,204 | 31,171 |
Applications went from 43,945 in fall 2013 to 40,204 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $28,843 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $28,147 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $31,498 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $38,569 |
| Over $110,000 | $46,936 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $64,212 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $78,335 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $37,529 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 38% submitted the SAT, 6% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Lehigh PA | 29.3% | $67,920 same for all |
| Villanova PA | 25.1% | $70,826 same for all |
| Carnegie Mellon PA | 11.4% | $68,776 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
For fall 2023 Drexel reported 40,204 applications and 31,171 admitted students, an admit rate of 77.5%.1 The rate was 81.5% in fall 2013, so the net change is a drop of 4.0 percentage points.1 It declined in 7 of 10 yearly changes but peaked at 82.6% in fall 2021.1 Compared with fall 2013, applications are down 9% and admits are down 13%, because the earliest years had larger counts of 43,945 applications.1
Drexel is test-optional. Where scores were submitted, the middle 50% ran 610 to 700 on SAT reading and writing, 620 to 730 on SAT math and 27 to 33 on the ACT.1
Tuition and fees are $64,212 for 2025-26 and are the same for every student, above the $43,696 median of the 77 private colleges in Pennsylvania.2 Drexel's average net price runs from $28,843 for the $0 to $30,000 income band up to $46,936 for the over $110,000 band, with $31,498 in the $48,001 to $75,000 band (2024-25).2
A graduation rate of 78% within 6 years for 2019 entrants sits above the state median of 60% across 115 colleges, and retention was 90%.2 Former students had median earnings of $92,338 at 10 years after entry, and those who borrowed federally had a median balance of $25,166.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 40,204 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 31,171 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 2,883 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 13,589 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 610 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 700 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 620 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 730 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 27 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 33 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 38% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 6% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $64,212 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $78,335 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $37,529 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $28,843 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $28,147 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $31,498 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $38,569 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $46,936 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 78% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 90% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 32% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $92,338 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $25,166 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, Pennsylvania (N = 77) | $43,696 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, Pennsylvania (N = 115) | 60% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Drexel, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page