10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$69,178at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Drake University
Des Moines, IA · 35 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 33 · Federal debt reported for 15
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$69,178 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
13.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−23%Estimated return after 10 years
$67,733Observed earnings · year 5
$11,833Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $17,295 per year to reach it.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $10,701 housing and food allowance plus $3,303 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$47,330
$8,000Annual price+$15,330
$16,000Annual price−$16,670
$24,000Annual price−$48,670
$29,000Current college-wide context−$68,670
$32,000Annual price−$80,670
$40,000Annual price−$112,670
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
19 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Iowa run 12% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$29,127Average net price / year
$64,835Cost of attendance
$23,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$244/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$67,733Median earnings · year 5 after completion
74.0%Completion rate
63.8%Admission rate
1,292Average SAT score
28ACT midpoint
2,543Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Drake University
What does Drake University cost?
Drake University reports an average annual net price of $29,127 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Drake University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $67,733 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Drake University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $23,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Drake University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 35 field-and-degree records for Drake University; 33 report year-4 earnings and 15 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
4,809Students enrolled at any point
2,712Undergraduate students
2,097Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
67% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
419 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
82% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$62,312Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$67,310Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$76,611Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income70%
Middle income84%
Higher income87%
Undergraduate student composition
White68%
Black8%
Hispanic9%
Asian5%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$51,837Year 1
$65,232Year 4
$67,733Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · First Professional Degree$140,3142Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$137,8903Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Bachelor's Degree$97,1324Accounting and Related Services · Master's Degree$91,2695Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$90,6396Economics · Bachelor's Degree$88,6387Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$88,6378Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$87,582Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's Degree · $54,950 reported+38%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $137,890 reported+33%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $57,563 reported+18%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $87,582 reported+15%vs same-degree national median$20,500federal debt5Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's Degree · $58,834 reported+14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's Degree · $97,132 reported+13%vs same-degree national median$23,979federal debt
Comparable colleges in IA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Des Moines, IA
Mercy College of Health Sciences
- Annual net price
- $26,924
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,428
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -39%
Morningside University
- Annual net price
- $31,320
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $61,335
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -46%
Saint Ambrose University
- Annual net price
- $24,691
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $63,455
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -34%
Waldorf University
- Annual net price
- $19,693
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,768
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -24%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 35 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | First Professional Degree | $140,314 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $137,890 | Not available | 0 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $97,132 | $23,979 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $91,269 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $90,639 | $21,281 | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $88,638 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $88,637 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $87,582 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $87,551 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $87,375 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $83,764 | Not available | Not reported |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | Bachelor's Degree | $75,867 | $23,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $73,523 | $20,485 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $71,246 | $19,250 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $68,233 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $67,547 | $20,375 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $67,257 | $21,138 | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $63,302 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Journalism | Bachelor's Degree | $62,969 | Not available | Not reported |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $62,724 | Not available | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $59,658 | Not available | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $58,834 | Not available | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $57,563 | Not available | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | First Professional Degree | $57,322 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $56,615 | Not available | Not reported |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $54,950 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $52,326 | $23,750 | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $50,591 | Not available | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $49,764 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $49,289 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $47,706 | $20,248 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $42,256 | Not available | Not reported |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $42,233 | Not available | Not reported |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $25,343 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.