Drake University

Higher Educationdrake.edu

Drake University is a private nonprofit university in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in 1881, offering 150+ undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across seven colleges, with growing transnational education partnerships in Singapore, Panama, and beyond.

Company typePrivate
Founded1881
HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

Drake University firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Drake University
Legal name: Drake University
Website: https://drake.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1881
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: Drake University is a private nonprofit university in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in 1881, offering 150+ undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across seven colleges, with growing transnational education partnerships in Singapore, Panama, and beyond.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Drake University industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Junior Colleges (61121)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Secular/Nonsectarian Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAG)
akta.pro secondary industries: Private/Independent Community & Junior Colleges (EDAHADAB), Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

Higher education
Private university
Degree programs
Professional education
Online learning

Where Drake University is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Des Moines
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Drake University business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from undergraduate and graduate tuition. Drake is a private university with tuition-dependent revenue model. Financial aid and scholarships are offered to offset costs for qualifying students.
Grant Funding: Receives grant funding from government sources such as the Department of Education (Rehabilitation Services Administration grant for Disability and Rehabilitation Services program) to fund specific academic programs and scholarships.
State Financial Aid Programs: Participates in the Iowa Tuition Grant program which provides up to $7,500 annually to full-time undergraduates at private nonprofit colleges in Iowa, supporting student access to private higher education.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Presidential Scholarships for first-year full-time students

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Drake University product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Drake University is a private, nonprofit higher education institution offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across seven colleges and schools. It delivers instruction on its Des Moines, Iowa campus and through an online learning platform, serving both traditional on-campus students and remote learners pursuing professional and liberal arts credentials.

Product overview

Drake University offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services across undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. The institution operates traditional on-campus programs alongside Drake Online for remote learning, and has recently expanded internationally through transnational education partnerships. Key offerings include the John Dee Bright College (2-year associate degree pathway), various professional doctoral programs (Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Education Leadership), and newly launched programs in Disability and Rehabilitation Services and Data Analytics/AI. The university serves over 150+ programs across seven colleges and schools, with recent expansion to Singapore and Panama through international partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Bulldogs: The athletic teams and mascot (Griff) of Drake University, competing in NCAA Division I.
Griff

Products and services

Drake University Online

Quantifiable outcome

100% of first-year, full-time students receive Presidential Scholarships
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Drake University

Customer profile

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Drake University technology and API

Technology

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Drake University partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Nanyang Science and Technology College (NSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Drake University partnered with Nanyang Science and Technology College to launch a Doctor of Education in Leadership degree program in Singapore. The 36-month program (21 months accelerated) combines in-person instruction at NSTC's city campus with online coursework. The program received approval from the Higher Learning Commission and Singapore's government. This represents Drake's expansion into Southeast Asia.
Ciudad del Saber (Panama Innovation Hub)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025Drake University partnered with Ciudad del Saber in Panama City to develop new degree programs in data analytics and artificial intelligence for Panamanian students. The program offers a three-year accelerated track and a 2+2 model where students study in Panama before completing their degrees in the U.S.
Rehabilitation Services Administration (Department of Education)minorOthersThe Disability and Rehabilitation Services program receives grant funding from the Rehabilitation Services Administration, providing up to $10,000 in scholarship funds for eligible students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Drake University competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

St. Ambrose University: Private university in Davenport, Iowa, offering a comparable mix of liberal arts and professional programs (including health sciences) closely aligned with Drake's portfolio.
Luther College: Private Lutheran liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa, with a similar academic profile and student demographic, representing one of Drake's closest Iowa private-college peers.
Grinnell College: Private liberal arts college in Iowa with similar mid-sized residential profile and comparable academic positioning. Most direct private-college comparator to Drake in the Iowa market.
Loras College: Private Catholic liberal arts university in Dubuque, Iowa, with comparable size and a similar mix of undergraduate programs plus some professional offerings.
Mount Mercy University: Private Catholic university in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with similar size and a comparable mix of undergraduate and graduate/professional programs in the Iowa private-higher-ed segment.
Upper Iowa University: Private university headquartered in Fayette, Iowa, with both on-campus and online degree programs in a comparable Iowa private-higher-ed positioning, including adult-learner and non-traditional focus.
Coe College: Small private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving similar undergraduate segments with a residential, teaching-focused model comparable to Drake's College of Arts & Sciences.
Simpson College: Private liberal arts college in Indianola, Iowa, with overlapping academic programs and a similar mid-sized residential model in the Iowa private-higher-ed segment.
Wartburg College: Private Lutheran liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa; similar mid-sized residential institution competing for Iowa and Midwest students with comparable tuition-band economics.
Cornell College: Private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, with overlapping academic offerings and a comparable Midwest private-college profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Drake University compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance10 records

Drake University financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Drake University leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Drake University subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries8 records

Drake University funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Drake University M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drake University

What does Drake University do?

Is Drake University a public or private company?

Drake University is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Drake University founded?

Drake University was founded in 1881. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is Drake University based?

Drake University is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.

How does Drake University make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding and state Financial Aid Programs.

Who are Drake University's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are St. Ambrose University, Luther College, Grinnell College, Loras College, Mount Mercy University, Upper Iowa University, Coe College, Simpson College, Wartburg College and Cornell College.

Does Drake University have an API?

No public API is recorded for Drake University.

What industry is Drake University in?

Drake University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHACAG, Secular/Nonsectarian Liberal Arts Colleges, with a secondary code of EDAHADAB, Private/Independent Community & Junior Colleges. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.