Drexel University

Statue of the Drexel dragon (its mascot) on the corner of 33rd and Market St., with the Pearlstein Business Learning Center in the background.

Drexel University is a Tier 1 private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist.

Central location

Drexel's main campus is located 3141 Chestnut St. in the University City section of Philadelphia, only about a block away from the University of Pennsylvania. It is also virtually adjacent to Philadelphia's Amtrak and main local train station (30th Street Station), making it feasible to commute from a forty-mile radius by train, bus or trolley.

In addition to the main campus, there is a smaller campus in Center City and the medical school is at the Queen Lane campus a few miles north of the main campus.

Enrollment

In the 2022-23 academic year, Drexel had an enrollment of more than 22,000 students, with about 60% of them graduate students. Drexel uses a fall-winter-spring quarter system (as opposed to semesters).

Tuition costs

Annual costs to attend are steep. In 2024, it took an estimated $83,818 to attend for three quarters (one "year") before applying any financial aid.

Drexel Co-op

Drexel is known to emphasizing real-world work experience as part of its curriculum. Drexel undergraduates typically spend five years, not four, to complete their studies, which typically includes 18 months of co-op with up to three different companies. The majority of co-ops are paid, averaging $18,720 per 6-month period, but this figure changes with major.