Zimpleman College of Business
Anything but Business as Usual
In Drake University’s Zimpleman College of Business, you’ll receive a world-class education shaped by a world-changing ethos—that business is a force for good.
In our AACSB-accredited business school, future entrepreneurs, analysts, campaign managers, accountants, and leaders master the fundamentals and hone their skills through hands-on programs infused with the latest tech and a mission to spark sustainable, inclusive economic growth. And all leave here ready to pursue profit through the lens of purpose, equipped to innovate and take charge in a diverse and dynamic world.
All Majors and Programs
With expert faculty, an entrepreneurial environment, and a curriculum rooted in principles of responsible management education, we give you the tools to empower success through your ideas and personal spark. Explore dynamic experiential learning-based programs that move you forward.
Undergraduate
Begin with the right foundation, whether you’re interested in a core discipline like finance, marketing, or accounting or a trending area like data analytics, actuarial science, or information systems.
Graduate
Deepen your training and add to your expertise, opening new areas of responsibility and impact in your career. Options include the MBA and master’s degrees in high-demand areas such as business analytics.
Center for Professional Studies
Enhance your organization’s effectiveness with programs geared toward the unique aspects of public and non-profit organizations. Faculty experts deliver high-impact learning programs on or off campus to impart new skills and improve outcomes.
Executive Education
Ignite the next stage of your career through Drake’s leadership development programs, or harness our expertise to design custom training for your organization.
About the Zimpleman College of Business
The power of free enterprise has the potential to ignite positive economic and social change, whether close to home in Des Moines or anywhere in the world. And the success of our graduates demonstrates that doing good is no obstacle to doing well.
%
Of Zimpleman College of Business undergraduates launch their careers or begin graduate school within six months of graduation.
$
The average starting salary for College of Business undergraduates (2024).
%
Of Zimpleman College of Business students complete at least one internship before they graduate.
Experiential Learning
Whether through helping a local business develop a growth strategy or analyzing currency markets while studying abroad, you’ll graduate having put theory into practice, ready for the job.
Centers and Institutes
College of Business, you’ll integrate into an ecosystem of entrepreneurial activity that will harness your creativity and draw you into the world beyond campus.
The Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
The Buchanan Center is focused on internal entrepreneurship work, including the Entrepreneurship minor, a student accelerator, the Changemaker Scholars program, and student coaching.
Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship Outreach
The Pappajohn Center is focused on external entrepreneurship outreach, including the Drake Business Clinic and a Drake competition.
Kelley Center for Insurance Innovation
Discover ways to enrich your professional preparation and interact with the insurance industry through lectures, research opportunities, and internships, connecting with the scores of companies headquartered in Des Moines.
Getting Involved
Expand your leadership skills and professional network as you strike up conversations with fellow students, faculty members, and industry leaders in 14 business-related student organizations on campus.
Meet Our Faculty
Our faculty teach from a place of broad industry experience, sustainable practice, and scholarly depth, equipping you to excel and spur change from within the global economy.
Lendie Follett, PhD
Associate Professor, Business Analytics; Department Chair, Actuarial Science, Analytics, and Information Systems
Kelley Ellis, CPA, CGMA, CIA, EMBA
Associate Dean, Student Affairs; Associate Professor of Practice, Accounting
News and Events
Take the Next Step
Combine passion, skill, and purpose to unleash the power of ethical, empowering business in a rapidly changing world.
