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Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in the city of Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country. Distinguished alumni include Dwight D. Opperman, former CEO of West Publishing Company, after whom Drake's law library was named; Neal Smith, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1959 until 1995; and Terry Edward Branstad, a former four-term Republican Governor of Iowa, who served from 1983 until 1999. The University approved a new Master building plan on June 25, 2005, calling for extensive renovations of existing facilities and the construction of several large buildings, including a new first year student residence hall, science building, fine arts building, and multi-purpose learning center.

The institution was founded in 1881, when most of the staff of Oskaloosa College left that college to establish what would become Drake University, founded by Francis Marion Drake, a resident of Centerville, Iowa and Governor of Iowa (1896–1898). From its founding in 1881, Drake University maintained affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) although no religious affiliation is officially recognized today.

The university's law school, the oldest law school in the country west of the Mississippi River, was established in 1865 by Chester C. Cole, who served on the Iowa Supreme Court from 1864 to 1876. In 1969 Drake's basketball team went to the Final Four under coach Maurice John, but were defeated by the UCLA Bruins by three points. Drake did defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels by 20 points in the third place game.

On September 17, 1969 the Drake student newspaper, The Times-Delphic, published what appears to be the first documented account of the famous Paul is dead hoax, written by Tim Harper. No articles published prior to this piece about the supposed death of Paul McCartney are known, although fellow Times-Delphic reporter and musician Dartanyan Brown, one of the sources for the article, recalled hearing about the hoax from other musicians and reading about it in some underground newspapers.

"Institutions of learning must come under this rule: By their fruits ye shall know them. A practical education is that which gives the mind the most power and adaptability. The credentials that your young and hopeful alma mater will soon confer upon each of you can only give you an introduction to the world of letters and of actual life. They can serve you no further. In whatever of the varied vocations of life you may engage, as well as in general society, you must work out your own destiny." - Drake Founder George Carpenter at Drake University's third commencement in 1884.

Drake's law school is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the nation, tracing its history to 1865. It is a charter member of the American Association of Law Schools, has been accredited since 1923 when accreditation first began, and is one of only seventy-five ABA-approved law schools to have a Chapter of Order of the Coif. Drake University Law School is home to the American Judicature Society, the archives of the National Bar Association, the nation's oldest and largest national association of predominately African-American lawyers and judges, and the Drake Constitutional Law Center, which is one of only four constitutional law programs established by the U.S. Congress and funded by the federal government. The Center's mission is to foster in-depth study of the United States Constitution. A significant aspect of the Center's activities is the Dwight D. Opperman Lecture series, an annual event of national importance in constitutional law. Several Supreme Court Justices have visited campus to deliver lectures on American jurisprudence. Numerous current and former United States Supreme Court Justices have delivered the Opperman Lecture, including Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Justice Samuel Alito, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, and late Justices Harry A. Blackmun, Lewis F. Powell and William H. Rehnquist. The 2007 graduate schools edition of U.S. News ranks the law school as Tier 3.

The University provides the following on-campus living accommodations for undergraduate students:

• Stalnaker Hall (Freshmen only)
• Carpenter Hall (Freshmen only)
• Herriott Hall Basement (Freshmen only)
• Crawford Hall (Freshmen only)
• Morehouse (freshmen/sophomore)
• Jewett Hall (sophomore only)
• Goodwin-Kirk Hall (sophomore only)
• Ross Hall (sophomore only)

Drake West Village is not a residence hall and is not owned by Drake University. This also applies to the Old Main apartments.

Drake University and Hubbell Realty leaders announced plans on July 20, 2006 for a $34-million housing and retail development at 30th Street and Carpenter Avenue. The development will create 7,000 feet of retail space for street-level neighborhood businesses and upper floors for state-of-the-art student suites. The buildings will house up to 500 students. Current design calls for a mix of one-, two- and four-bedroom units, where each student has a private bedroom and shares a common living and kitchen space. The housing will be targeted primarily at junior and senior undergraduate students and graduate students in the pharmacy program or the Drake Law School.

West Village opened for the Fall 2008 semester.

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