Enrollment: 13573
Average SAT: 610
Most Popular Majors: Biology/Biological Sciences, General,Information Science/Studies,Mechanical Engineering,
Regular Application Deadline: 03/01
Student Faculty Ratio: 9:1

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 701
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $14,844.00

Least Beautiful Campus
Long Lines and Red Tape
Least Accessible Professors
2010 Top Entrepreneurial Programs: Undergraduate

Students Say - Academics
Drexel University "is a lot of work squarely aimed at integration into the professional world," whether that world involves the school's popular majors in engineering, technology, and business, or less-known offerings like the school's programs in the music industry or hospitality management. Drexel has a growing digital media program, making it "one of the only schools in the area with a developed program" in the field. Central to the Drexel experience is the "extremely beneficial" co-op program, which many agree is "the best thing about Drexel." Co-op provides 18 months of professional experience during the 5-year undergraduate program. One student writes, "You will learn as much in the first couple of months of working in the real world as you did in any college. Drexel gives you all of that knowledge before you're even out of school and gives you the preparation necessary to succeed in the real world." The school's location in Philadelphia, "a source of endless fun and opportunity," helps a co-op program considerably. "Engineering dominates" at Drexel, but the school "has a variety of programs fit for almost anyone," with "a lot of classes run with Web-based resources. Lectures are posted online in WebCT, as well as course syllabi and assignments. This makes it easy to access information. Teachers are easy to get in touch with via e-mail and are very accessible to meet with as needed." Administrative tasks are not so convenient; students warn of "lots of red tape," adding that "most issues require visits to at least three different offices, sometimes on opposite ends of campus." Fortunately, the campus isn't that large.

Students Say - Campus Life
Campus life at Drexel must compete with the temptations offered by Philadelphia, one of the nation's largest cities. Philly provides "so many things to do (if you have the money) that it can be hard to know where to begin." Students tell us that "museums are great. Lots of kids go to concerts, and there are all sorts, all the time. First Fridays in Center City is also popular." The area immediately surrounding the school has plenty of "great bars, food, and dancing." Drexel is close to the UPenn campus, "and students often go into their parties, which are extraordinary." On campus, "There are numerous fraternities and societies you can join." Intercollegiate sports "aren't incredibly popular here," but "the basketball team is really taking off and is always sold out." Drexel's grounds, once an unbroken sea of brick and concrete, have been renovated; today "there are plenty of green grassy areas for students to hang out and relax," as well as "a new beautiful amphitheater and some nice tree-lined walkways with benches and tables."

Students Say - Student Body
There "are no real typical students at Drexel. [It's] is a pretty diverse school, with students involved in different kinds of activities, dressing differently, and motivated differently." The school "is a melting pot" with "many, many international and minority students." One student notes, "Drexel's common factor seems to be not race or economic background, but a sense of personal drive. Drexel students work hard-it's a requirement to keep afloat-and that self-propulsion seems to be the tie that binds the student body together." If undergrads "seem to fit in well together," that may be because "students here are very casual and easygoing." Some have quirky senses of humor; take the one who reports that "the students tend to be of the human variety, with genders varying from male to female. Everyone has a clique, and it takes quite a bit of effort to be excluded from them all."

Boston University
New York University

More at PrincetonReview.com