DES MOINES, IOWA (September 16, 2025) — Drake University is pleased to announce that it welcomed a highly-diverse group of 829 newly enrolled Associate, Bachelor, and transfer students this fall. This is a 12.5% increase from fall 2024 with students hailing from 31 states and 28 countries.
- Entering first-year (EFR) Bachelor students totaled 653 — a 10.9% increase from 2024.
- Enrollment at John Dee Bright College — Drake’s two-year associate program — reached an all-time enrollment high with a 30.6% increase in entering class size compared to 2024.
- Incoming transfer students pursuing a bachelor and recent Bright College graduates continuing on to a Bachelor at Drake grew by a combined 14.2% compared to fall 2024.
At a 33.2% level of diversity, the incoming class brings Drake’s total undergraduate population-diversity percentage to 29.6% — the highest on record in Drake’s history.
"We are proud to welcome a class of Bulldogs which embodies all that makes our Drake community unique," said Drake University President Marty Martin.
"They are a vibrant and diverse group, eager to broaden their perspectives through hands-on learning and global experiences. I am confident when the time comes for each to cross the graduation stage, they will do so prepared for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship."
Expanding Access to Opportunity
Significant efforts in recent years have expanded access to a life-changing Drake education. These efforts include the launch and recent expansion of full-tuition coverage programs like the Bulldog Promise, a commitment of $54 million to more than 330 new and expanded scholarships, the opening of Bright College in 2021, and the introduction of one of the nation’s first fixed-tuition guarantees. The makeup of Drake’s 2025 entering class is reflective of the efforts to expand access to a Drake education.
- Pell Grant Eligibility: 30% of Drake's 2025 EFR students and 33.2% of all newly-enrolled Associate, Bachelor, and transfer students are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant — a grant awarded to students demonstrating exceptional financial need. This percentage sets an all-time high for Drake’s EFR class, affirming Drake’s commitment to advancing economic and social mobility.
- 33.2% Diversity: The incoming class grew to a 33.2% level of diversity — an increase from 2024.
- 28.1% First-Generation: 28.1% of the incoming class are the first in their immediate family to attend college.
- Full-Tuition Coverage for Qualifying Iowans: Sixty enrolled students for fall 2025 qualified for the Bulldog Promise in its inaugural year, and 31 newly-enrolled students are attending Bright College tuition-free through the Bright College Pathway.
Highlights by College and School
- College of Arts and Sciences saw an increase of 11% in entering Bachelor enrollment as compared to 2024.
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences reached a five-year high for entering Bachelor enrollment. Enrollment in its new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program — which began in Fall 2024 — grew this year after exceeding projections in its inaugural year.
- Zimpleman College of Business reached a five-year high for entering Bachelor enrollment, with a 20.8% increase from 2024.
- School of Journalism and Mass Communications experienced an increase of 47.2% in entering Bachelor enrollment as compared to 2024, aided in part by the successful launch of a new Sports Media and Communication major this semester.
- Bright College reached its highest enrollment in history with a 30.6% increase in new student enrollment compared to 2024.
- School of Education saw an increase in graduate-credit hours as compared to the fall 2024 semester, in part aided by the 2024 launch of a new Teacher Intern Program, which doubled in the amount of first-year graduate students this year.
- Drake Law School reached a ten-year high in total enrollment with its entering class size increasing by 16.8% compared to 2024.
Growing Globally
In fall of 2024, Drake launched its first dedicated international dual-degree program — a partnership with Qingdao University in Qingdao, China — in which students can earn a Bachelor’s degree from Drake University in either Data Analytics or Biology. Enrollment in its inaugural year (Fall 2024) included 167 first-year students. Drake will soon welcome them back for their second year, along with 170 new first-year students for Fall 2025 (not included in new enrollment numbers listed above). Additional plans are underway for the launch of a new global program in the year ahead.
