Address: 3141 Chestnut Street, 19104 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Engineering, Health Sciences, Business (LeBow)
Drexel University is a private, coeducational university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1891 by the banker and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, became the Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936 and later took its present name.
Cooperative education is a defining feature. Students alternate classroom study with full-time, paid work in their field, with up to three six-month placements built into a degree, and the university works with many employers to offer these positions.
The university teaches in several colleges, among them arts and sciences, business, engineering, and computing and informatics, and it offers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programmes. It also operates the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, a natural science museum and research organisation, and describes itself as an R1-level research university.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Pioneer and leader in cooperative education. Strong ties with industry in Philadelphia and beyond for co-op placements. Urban campus integrated with University City.
Research:
Applied research with strengths in engineering, health sciences, information science, materials science, and public health. Focus on translational research and innovation.
Famous Alumnis:
Malik Rose, Paul Baran, Alassane Ouattara, Norman Joseph Woodland
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4000
Current students***:
24000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
150000
Pros
Excellent co-op program providing significant work experience, strong career focus, located in Philadelphia with industry access.
Cons
Co-op program structure can be demanding (quarter system, frequent moves), urban campus, private university cost.
Best For
Students highly focused on gaining extensive professional work experience through co-operative education alongside their academic studies, particularly in engineering, health, or business.
University of Cincinnati is a public university with design and architecture, engineering with co-op study, and music, the closest match to Drexel's work-linked degrees.
Rochester Institute of Technology is a private institution with engineering technology, computer science, and art and design as main fields.
Temple University is a public university in the same city, Philadelphia, with arts, law and business as main fields.
Lehigh University is a private university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, whose main fields are engineering, business and finance.
University of Waterloo in Canada is a public university whose main fields are computer science, engineering and mathematics with co-op study.
University of Surrey in the United Kingdom is a public university with electrical engineering, hospitality and tourism, and health sciences.
Swinburne University of Technology in Australia is a public university in Hawthorn covering engineering, design, business and health sciences.
Aalborg University in Denmark is a public university known for problem-based learning, alongside engineering fields.
Hanyang University in South Korea is a private university in Seoul with engineering and mechanical engineering as main fields.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Who founded Drexel and when?
Anthony J. Drexel, a Philadelphia banker and philanthropist, founded it in 1891. The original name was the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry.
How has the name changed over time?
The institution became the Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936 and later gained its present name, Drexel University, around 1970.
What is co-op at Drexel?
Co-op lets students alternate classroom terms with full-time, paid work related to their field, with up to three six-month experiences built into a degree. The university works with many employers on this.
Which colleges does the university include?
They include arts and sciences, business, engineering, and computing and informatics. The university also lists further colleges and schools on its official website.
What is the Academy of Natural Sciences?
It is a natural science museum and research organisation that is now part of Drexel and is called the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. It is a unit separate from the degree colleges.
Where is Drexel located?
The university is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with its main address on Chestnut Street, alongside other sites in the region.
Which Drexel pages explain admission and tuition?
Admission rules and tuition differ by programme and are published on the official Drexel website. Applicants should check the page of the college they want.
Engineering, Innovation, Sustainable Practices, User experience (UX), User-Centered Design
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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