Drexel University

19th century

Drexel University was founded in 1891 as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry by Anthony J. Drexel, a Philadelphia financier and philanthropist. The original mission of the institution was to provide educational opportunities in the "practical arts and sciences" for women and men of all backgrounds.

Drexel can now trace its roots to 1812 as in 2011 Drexel took over the management of what is now named Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University which Academy was formed in the winter of 1812. In April 1817, the legislature of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania incorporated the organization under the name "Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia".

20th century

In 1936, the institution was renamed as the Drexel Institute of Technology. It eventually gained university status and was finally named Drexel University in 1970.

Despite changes during its first century, the university has remained a privately controlled, non-sectarian, coeducational center of higher learning committed to practical education and hands-on experience in an occupational setting. The central aspect of Drexel University's focus on career preparation, in the form of its cooperative education program, was introduced in 1919. Participating students alternate periods of classroom-based study with periods of full-time, practical work experience related to one's academic major and career interests.

Between 1995 and 2009, Drexel University underwent a period of significant change to its programs, enrollment, and facilities under the leadership of Dr. Constantine Papadakis, the university's president during that time. Papadakis oversaw Drexel's largest expansion in its history, with a 471 percent increase in its endowment and a 102 percent increase in student enrollment. He oversaw improved performance in collegiate rankings, the implementation of a more selective approach to admissions, and a more rigorous academic program at all levels. In 2007, Drexel was the host of the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate debate in Philadelphia, televised by MSNBC.

21st century

In 2002, Drexel University acquired and assumed management of the former Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) Hahnemann University, creating the Drexel University College of Medicine. In 2006, the university established the Thomas R. Kline School of Law, and in 2011 the School of Law achieved full accreditation by the American Bar Association.

Constantine Papadakis died of pneumonia in April 2009 while still employed as the university's president. His successor, John Anderson Fry, was previously the president of Franklin & Marshall College and executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania.

Under Fry's leadership, Drexel has continued its expansion, including the July 2011 acquisition of The Academy of Natural Sciences. In 2024, Drexel acquired Salus University, which has multiple programs in health related fields. The merger was completed on July 3, 2025.

Bennett S. LeBow College of Business

The Bennett S. LeBow College of Business history dates to the founding in 1891 of the Drexel Institute, that later became Drexel University, and of its Business Department in 1896. Today LeBow offers thirteen undergraduate majors, eight graduate programs, and two doctoral programs; 22 percent of Drexel University's undergraduate students are enrolled in a LeBow College of Business program.

The LeBow College of Business has been ranked as the 38th best private business school in the nation. Its online MBA program is ranked 14th in the world by the Financial Times; the publication also ranks the undergraduate business program at LeBow as 19th in the United States. The part-time MBA program ranks 1st in academic quality in the 2015 edition of Business Insider's rankings. Undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs are ranked 19th in the country by the Princeton Review.

Research activity

Drexel is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity". The university was ranked 51st in the 2018 edition of the "Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents" list released by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.