Tracking Progress
Drexel is tracking progress toward 2030 through a set of key performance indicators that focus on enhancing reputation and improving student experience. A sampling of these metrics is found below. In addition, we are tracking progress against goals through six strategic imperatives.
Retention and Graduation Rate
Drexel University's undergraduate, first-time, full-time students' one-year retention rate has increased 5% points from 2014 (84.5%) to 2022 (89.5%). Drexel's retention rate is also significantly above the national average of four-year public and private non-profit institutions, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The increase is credited to several strategic initiatives, including implementation of a new student lifecycle management process, adjustments in how Drexel awards financial aid, and the launch of the Academic Resource Center (ARC) - an integrated hub of on-campus academic support services focusing on providing tutoring, academic coaching, workshops, and specialized courses, and related efforts to improve retention and student success.
The Tableau visual linked below outlines one-year retention and six-year graduation rates of undergraduate, first-time, full-time cohorts who entered in the fall. The six-year graduation rate has improved approximately 7% points from 2013 (69.4%) to 2017 (77.1%).
Ranking
Drexel’s position in the U.S. News “Best National Universities” annual ranking improved by twelve positions from 98th to 86th in the current 2025 release. This is the third year in a row that Drexel has improved in this ranking despite the changes in the methodology. Among private institutions only, Drexel’s ranking improved from 50th to 43rd.
Research Expenditures
Drexel University's total research expenditures as reported by the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development (NSF HERD) is $169MM (2023). Through the Research Impact imperative, our goal is to increase Drexel's research expenditures to $250MM by 2030.
Outcomes
Drexel University’s one-year-out outcomes, which are based on exit survey data self-reported by bachelor's degree recipients 9-12 months after graduation, show a 96% overall job satisfaction rate in 2023 which is a 4% increase from 2021.
Overall job satisfaction
The Tableau visual linked below shows several outcomes from the most recent three graduation years, including employment rate, average annual salary, and job characteristics and satisfaction rates. For example, 88% of respondents secured a job related to their major.