Established in 1881 as a liberal arts college which has morphed into a composite university, this pioneer institution enjoys an excellent reputation for providing high value education One of the pioneer liberal arts private universities in the American hinterland, Drake University (estb. 1881) is sited in Des Moines, the capital of the farmland state of Iowa. Currently this fully accredited co-ed varsity offers more than 75 undergraduate majors and several graduate study programmes to 5,221 students, including 200 from abroad. Its six colleges and schools including arts and sciences; business and public administration; education; journalism and mass communication; law; and pharmacy and health sciences offer an education that blends a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with carefully designed professional programmes. Consequently it’s not surprising that during the past five years 95 percent of Drake graduates have found professional employment or entered graduate school. Nor is it surprising this pioneer university enjoys an excellent reputation. The US News & World Report magazine has consistently ranked Drake U among the top three regional universities in the midwest. Moreover Peterson’s Guide to Competitive Colleges and Barron’s 300 Best Buys in College Education rate Drake as among the best values in higher education. The student-teacher ratio at Drake is an enviable 14:1 with 93 percent of professors holding the highest degree in their fields. Comments Tom Delahunt, vice president for admission and financial aid at Drake: “The distinguishing characteristic of Drake is that it is a combination of a liberal arts college and university i.e it offers high quality postgrad and doctorate education as well. Moreover ours is a generous college. Eighty eight percent of students receive financial aid.” Des Moines. The capital of Iowa, Des Moines (pop. 400,000) is the political and business hub of the state. A thriving fast-expanding city with live links to its agricultural backyard, Des Moines offers students great opportunities for internships or to start a career, enjoy modern art, classic architecture, experience metropolitan amenities or explore scenic bicycle trails. The city’s diverse offerings include antique shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques of the historic Valley Junction; downtown’s lively East Village and Court Avenue districts; a zoo, science centre and art museum and one of the top ten US arts festivals. The climate in Des Moines changes dramatically during different times of the year. Temperatures are high in July and August; cold in January and February. The most likely time for snow is from mid-November until mid-March. Campus facilities. Drake’s 150-acre campus nestles in a residential neighbourhood in the heart of Des Moines. It offers numerous coffee houses, local and chain restaurants, an art house, movie theatre, grocery and drug stores- all within walking distance of the campus. On the verdant campus, contemporary laboratories, auditoriums and seminar halls supplement state-of-the-art classrooms. Cowles Library, the main university library, houses a collection which includes more than 550,000 books and journals, 94,000 federal and state government documents, 777,000 microform records, 70 electronic databases, approximately 15,000 scholarly online journals, as well as DVDs and music CDs. Sports facilities include indoor…
