Quad

Head-to-head

Calvin
Drake

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Drake grads earn $13.5K more ten years out than Calvin's ($71,901 vs. $58,375)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Calvin's yield is 12 pts higher than Drake's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Calvin costs about $5.9K less per year on average than Drake ($25,837 vs. $31,693, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    Drake has 4 pts more Pell recipients than Calvin (22% vs. 17%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    Calvin is a bit larger (3,193 vs. 2,543)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    Drake's SAT midpoint is 23 points higher than Calvin's

    SAT midpoint

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Drake admits 64%, Calvin 71%; Calvin's yield is higher, at 21%.

Acceptance rate
Calvin71%
Drake64%
Quad's selectivity
  • CalvinSelective
  • DrakeSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
Calvin
1083–1330
Drake
1110–1350
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • CalvinGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • DrakeGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Calvin is a bit larger than Drake (3,193 vs. 2,543 undergrads); Drake has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Calvin3.2K
Drake2.5K
Pell Grant share
Calvin17%
Drake22%

Majors and faculty

Engineering leads at Calvin, and Psychology at Drake; Drake has 11 students per faculty member to Calvin's 13.

Students per faculty member
Calvin13 to 1
Drake11 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • CalvinEngineering, General11%
  • DrakePsychology, General5%

What each costs

Calvin costs about $5.9K less a year than Drake on average; grants cover the same share of the price at both, 53%.

Average cost, all students
Calvin$25.8K
Drake$31.7K
Aid generosity
Calvin53%
Drake53%

What each pays off

Drake's former students earn more, a median $71.9K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Calvin$58.4K
Drake$71.9K
Graduation rate
Calvin77%
Drake78%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Drake got more selective while Calvin held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • CalvinGrowing+56%
  • DrakeGrowing+52%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why