Drexel University
A private Philadelphia research university built around co-op: up to three six-month, full-time jobs before you graduate.
- Acceptance rate
- 70%
- First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
- Students
- 20,789
- 12,318 undergraduates
- International
- 9%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 9:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $63,078
- 2026-27
About Drexel
Drexel University was founded in 1891 by the Philadelphia financier Anthony J. Drexel as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, with a mission of practical education for men and women of all backgrounds. Today it is a private R1 research university whose main campus is in University City, west of Center City Philadelphia. In fall 2025 it enrolled 20,789 students: 12,318 undergraduates and 8,471 graduate and professional students.
The Drexel Co-op is the core of the undergraduate experience: 89 percent of students take part, completing up to three six-month, full-time positions (up to 18 months in all) with employers such as Amazon, Comcast, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Lockheed Martin, Merck and Vanguard. Colleges and schools include the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing, the LeBow College of Business, the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the School of Biomedical Engineering and the Pennoni Honors College.
Drexel admitted 26,583 of 38,030 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (69.9%). It suits students who know they want to test careers early, are happy in a busy urban setting and like the idea of graduating with a resume, not just a transcript.
Why students choose Drexel
Co-op on a large scale: 5,393 co-op experiences with 1,504 employer partners in 2024-25, with a median gross six-month salary of $22,000 for full-time paid positions.
Drexel reports offering financial support to 100 percent of incoming first-years in 2025-26, with average scholarship and grant offers of $40,814.
International students can receive need-based aid as well as merit awards; 1,038 nonresident undergraduates received institutional aid averaging $32,937 in 2025-26.
Accelerated BA/BS+MD and BS+OD Early Assurance programs give a direct route toward medical or optometry school.
Admissions
First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
26,583 admitted from 38,030 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
1,948 first-years enrolled. 299 students applied Early Decision for fall 2025 and 234 were admitted. International applicants made up 8,852 of the applicants and 5,084 of the admits. Rigor of the secondary record, class rank, GPA and test scores (when submitted) are rated very important in the CDS; essay, recommendations and character are important.
Typical entry requirements
| U.S. high school curriculum | A college-preparatory program is recommended; the CDS lists at least 3 years of mathematics and 1 year of lab science, and programs set their own prerequisites |
|---|---|
| International secondary education | Official records from every secondary school attended covering grades 9-11 plus current 12th-grade work, with notarized English translations |
| English language | Non-native English speakers without three full years of English-medium schooling must submit an approved test: TOEFL iBT or Essentials, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo or Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency. Exemptions include SAT EBRW of 600+ or ACT English of 27+. Drexel's admissions pages reviewed do not publish a minimum score. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 40 daysNovember 15, 2026
Binding. Decisions mid-December. CSS Profile due November 25; deposits due January 15.
- Early Action Non-binding In 40 daysNovember 15, 2026
Non-binding. Decisions mid-December. CSS Profile due November 25. BA/BS+MD applicants must apply EA or RD.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 15, 2027
Decisions by April 1. CSS Profile and FAFSA priority deadline February 1; deposit due May 1.
Drexel's deadline page lists month and day without a year; its winter-entry section refers to the 2026-2027 CSS Profile and a January 4 winter start, so the fall dates are applied to the fall 2027 cycle. A Winter Entry Program (applications by October 1) is also offered.
How to apply
Common App or Coalition Application with Scoir; $65 fee (waivers available, including for Pennsylvania residents); one 250-650-word essay; official high school transcripts; one counselor recommendation (two for BA/BS+MD); optional SAT/ACT; portfolio for many Westphal College of Media Arts and Design majors; first- and second-choice majors, with an undeclared option; CSS Profile for institutional need-based aid.
What admissions looks for
- A rigorous high school record with strong grades and class standing, all rated very important.
- Test scores if you submit them, used only when they help your application.
- A strong essay and counselor recommendation, both rated important.
- Character and personal qualities, plus activities, talent, volunteering and work experience, which are considered.
Tips for applying to Drexel
- 1 Apply Early Action or Early Decision by November 15 and file the CSS Profile by November 25 if you want institutional need-based aid; Drexel warns that missing the CSS Profile can affect decisions for aid applicants.
- 2 Pick a first- and second-choice major (or undeclared exploratory studies) carefully, and look at how co-op cycles work in each.
- 3 Westphal College applicants in design and media programs should build a portfolio for the Discover Drexel portal, with time-based media capped at five minutes.
- 4 Consider the BA/BS+MD Early Assurance route only if you have strong SAT/ACT scores and a science teacher recommendation ready by November 15.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Drexel University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Drexel awards need-based aid (CSS Profile and FAFSA) and merit scholarships; test-optional applicants remain eligible for merit awards. It reported financial support for 100 percent of incoming first-years in 2025-26, with average scholarship and grant offers of $40,814. International students can receive need-based aid too, and students on co-op are not billed tuition for those terms.
- 100%
- Incoming first-years offered financial support (2025-26)
- $40,814
- Average scholarship and grant offer, fall 2025 first-years
- 82%
- Average need met, first-year need-based aid recipients (CDS 2025-26)
- $42,870
- Average need-based grant, first-years with need (CDS 2025-26)
- 1,038 students, averaging $32,937
- International undergraduates receiving institutional aid (CDS 2025-26)
- $84,896 (tuition, fees, housing and food), before books, transport and personal costs
- 2026-27 direct first-year costs
Academics
Drexel Co-op
Up to three six-month, full-time positions woven into the degree; 89 percent of students take part.
BA/BS+MD Early Assurance Program
An accelerated combined route toward the Drexel College of Medicine, with its own application requirements.
BS+OD Early Assurance Program
A combined path to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
Portfolio-reviewed design, media, film, game and music programs paired with co-op.
School of Biomedical Engineering and Science
A dedicated biomedical engineering school, with combined BS/MS routes.
Research
- Classified R1 (very high research activity).
- The College of Medicine, formed in 2002 from MCP Hahnemann University, offers the MD and more than 40 graduate programs.
- Research spans engineering and computing, biomedical engineering, public health and nursing across dedicated schools.
Schools & faculties
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing
- Bennett S. LeBow College of Business
- Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- College of Nursing and Health Professions
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Science
- Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health
- School of Education
- Goodwin College of Professional Studies
- Pennoni Honors College
- College of Medicine
- Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Drexel reports that 85% of co-op employers would consider rehiring their co-op student and 90% of co-op students found the experience relevant to their career goals (2024-25). College Scorecard: median earnings of $84,648 ten years after entry and $69,063 six years after entry for federally aided students.
Student life
Drexel's University City campus sits beside the University of Pennsylvania, a short trip from Center City. Because students rotate between classes and co-op, the campus has a working, forward-looking feel, and many students spend six-month stretches working in Philadelphia or beyond. The Dragons, whose dragon mascot is Mario the Magnificent, compete in NCAA Division I, the student newspaper The Triangle dates to 1926, and there are 33 active club sports teams alongside varsity athletics.
- Up to 18 months of full-time co-op experience before graduation.
- NCAA Division I Dragons, mainly in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
- 33 active club sports, from ice hockey to squash and triathlon.
- The Triangle, the student newspaper, has published since 1926.
Location
Drexel's main campus is in University City, just west of Center City Philadelphia across the Schuylkill River. Philadelphia offers history, culture, food and a deep base of employers in health, finance, media and technology that feed the co-op program.
Nearest airport: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Notable alumni
- PB Paul BaranPioneer of packet switching and computer networks; electrical engineering (1949)
- CF Christopher FergusonNASA astronaut who commanded the final Space Shuttle mission; mechanical engineering (1984)
- JB James BagianPhysician, engineer and NASA astronaut; mechanical engineering (1973), first in his class
- CM Chris McKendryESPN anchor; Division I tennis player at Drexel (1990)
- BS Bennett S. LeBowBusinessman and founder of Vector Group; electrical engineering (1960)
- MR Malik RoseTwo-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs; All-American at Drexel
- VO Violet OakleyMuralist and illustrator; studied in Howard Pyle's illustration class at Drexel Institute (non-degree)
Frequently asked questions
What is Drexel University's acceptance rate?
Drexel admitted 26,583 of 38,030 first-year applicants for fall 2025, about 70%. For Early Decision, 234 of 299 applicants were admitted.
Is Drexel test-optional?
Yes, under a No Harm Test-Optional policy: scores are optional and only used if they help. BA/BS+MD and BS+OD Early Assurance applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores.
What are Drexel's application deadlines?
For fall 2027, binding Early Decision and non-binding Early Action close November 15, 2026 with decisions in mid-December, and Regular Decision closes January 15, 2027 with decisions by April 1.
How much does Drexel cost per year?
For 2026-27, first-year tuition is $63,078, fees are $2,420 and average housing and food is $19,398, a total of $84,896 before books and personal costs. Students on co-op are not billed tuition for co-op terms.
How does the Drexel co-op work?
Students complete up to three six-month, full-time positions as part of their degree; 89% take part. The median gross six-month salary for full-time paid undergraduate co-ops is $22,000.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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