Using benchmark institutions for comparison is a common method to address the demand for data-driven decisions. In summer 2016, President’s Council affirmed the need to review Drake’s set of benchmark institutions. The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) conducted an analysis of key indicators in national data to identify a set of institutions that are comparable to Drake.
As a result of that analysis, Drake has a new set of 15 benchmark institutions, which includes three sets of institutions—direct competitors (undergraduate admission), peer institutions (close alignment on key indicators), and aspirant institutions (high performance on key indicators). We will use this list for benchmarking purposes at the institution level. Individual units can also use this list, while recognizing that specific needs may require the use of a specialized set (e.g., athletics conference).
Benchmark Institutions
| Direct Competitor | Peer | Aspirant |
| Creighton University | Bradley University | Santa Clara University |
| DePaul University | Butler University | University of Tulsa |
| Loyola University Chicago | Elon University | Villanova University |
| Marquette University | Gonzaga University | Loyola Marymount University |
| St. Thomas University | Valparaiso University | Texas Christian University |
Please contact Kevin Saunders if you would like additional information. This set of institutions will continue to be listed on the OIRA website.
—Kevin Saunders, OIRA