• Fall term - June 1 is the priority deadline for international students to submit an application and supporting materials for entry to Drake in the fall term, which begins in August.

• Spring term - November 1 is the priority deadline for international students to submit an application and supporting materials for entry to Drake in the spring term, which begins in January.

Applications received after the priority deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

Complete one of the following*:

• Drake University Application
• Common Application, including the Common Application Member Questions specific to Drake University

Choose either method to apply. Both options are given equal consideration for admission. There is no application fee when applying online.

*Notice to Students in Nigeria: If you are a student applying to Drake University from within Nigeria, you are required to begin your application process through GIEVA, Drake’s admission partner in Nigeria. Please reach out to GIEVA by emailing them at Contact@gieva.org. If you apply directly to Drake without first going through GIEVA, it will significantly delay your admission decision.

If you wish to improve your language proficiency before beginning an academic program at Drake, you may apply for admission to an academic program at the same time that you apply for the Intensive English Program. With the exception of the pre-pharmacy program, Drake offers conditional admission to those applicants who meet the University’s academic requirements, but first need to improve English language skills.

Applications for the Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program are accepted for fall semester only. International transfer students should submit an application through the Athletic Training Centralized Application Service (ATCAS).

For a complete list of MAT requirements, please visit our MAT international admission page.

Applications for the Occupational Therapy Program (OTD) program are accepted fall semester only. International transfer students should submit an application through the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS).

For a complete list of OTD admission requirements, please visit our OTD international admission page.

Applications for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program are accepted for fall semester only. Transfer students should submit an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS).

For a complete list of PharmD admission requirements for international students, please visit our PharmD international admission page.

• Transfer students with 24 or more semester credits of degree-level coursework completed are not required to submit academic records from secondary school.
• Transfer students with fewer than 24 semester credits of degree-level coursework completed are required to submit academic records from secondary school in addition to submitting ACT or SAT scores or interviewing with an admission counselor.
• All transfer students, regardless of the amount of degree-level coursework completed, are required to submit an official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended.

Original or certified copies of academic records or transcripts in official form, including exam results, must be submitted by the educational institution directly to Drake either by mail or electronically.  An admission decision may be reached based on unofficial documents, but the official documents must be submitted by the educational institution prior to attending Drake.

Photocopies, scans, or faxes of academic records submitted by students without a fresh seal or stamp of the school, college, or university attended are not accepted as official. Academic records are not considered to be official if certified by notaries, commissioners of oaths, or translators, regardless of how they are submitted.

After initial review, the admission committee may request a credential evaluation.

All documents must be in English.  Translated records should be an exact translation (not interpretive) and be accompanied by the official, original-language document.

Mail records to:         

Office of Admission
Drake University
2507 University Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505 U.S.A.

Electronic records:      International@drake.edu

The ACT or SAT test scores are not required of transfer students.

While English proficiency is not required to apply for and be admitted into a Drake undergraduate program, admitted students must meet a minimum English proficiency score and submit proof to International Admission within the Global Engagement Office before the creation of an I-20 can occur. Students who attended high school or another higher education institution in an English-speaking country are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency.

Students not from an English-speaking country can satisfy the English proficiency requirement using any of the following options:

• TOEFL iBT:  Minimum overall score of 71.  Drake's TOEFL school code is 6168.
• IELTS:  Minimum overall score of 6.0.
• Duolingo English Test:  Minimum overall score of 105.
• Pearson Test of English: Minimum overall score of 48.
• SAT:  Minimum score of 500 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section.  Drake's SAT code is 6168.
• ACT:  Minimum score of 19 on the English section.  Drake's ACT code is 1302.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): A score of 5-7 or grade of A or B on HL English.

We strongly recommend that you send English proficiency test scores to Drake during the admission process to quicken the I-20 creation process. Students who do not prove English proficiency by August 1 for a fall semester start or by January 1 for a spring semester start will be required to enroll in the Intensive English Program (IEP) at Drake for that semester, thus delaying the start of their program studies by one semester.

The essay/personal statement is optional.

Should you choose to provide an essay with your application, we encourage you to use one of the essay prompts provided in the Drake application or Common Application. Or, other topics might include: Why do you want to transfer to Drake?  What would you like us to know about you, your academic history, or your experiences? Is there additional information you would like to share to give context to your transcripts?”

 We review all applications, with or without an essay, with equal attention.

A recommendation, while not required, is strongly encouraged. 

The renewable International Student Grant may offer a partial award toward financial need. This grant will not provide full funding.  Although it may be awarded along with other scholarships, the total combined aid will not exceed 40% of the total cost of attendance.

A link to the grant application process is provided within your Drake admission application.

Please view the Scholarship and Financial Aid Opportunities for International Students for more information.