Take a moment and think about why you decided to come to Drake University. Was it because of the academics, the location, the athletics, the high placement rate after college or simply because of the adorable mascot? Whatever your reasoning, you did a good job, and the U.S. News Best College Rankings agrees with you. In the 2019 Best Colleges Rankings that U.S. News and World Report just released, Drake University was placed at No. 3 in the Best Regional Universities Midwest category. Drake follows behind Butler and Creighton, both tied for first in the Midwest Division.

Now I might be biased, but I’m in love with this school and the people that make up this community. The quick synopsis of Drake that U.S. News provides talks about the extensive amount of clubs and organizations that Drake offers to students. Although the clubs and organizations aren’t the first things that come to mind when I think about all this school has to offer, that doesn’t mean they aren’t exceptional.

I think we often forget about how many different and diverse student organizations we truly have on campus. We have the Donald V. Adams Leadership Academy which is extremely unique to Drake, not to mention super important in the corporate world these days as more and more employers are looking for students with leadership experience. U.S. News and World Report also ranked Drake as No. 11 for Best Undergraduate Teaching.

I was so excited to hear this ranking because I believe that most of our professors here at Drake want to see us succeed, so they do everything in their power to make our studies tough but fair; challenging, but not impossible. At Drake, we are blessed to have professors with connections all across the nation.

Not only are professors walking with us on our path of education, but they also open doors for us when our time at Drake is over. That’s why 98.8 percent of students launch their career or begin graduate school within six months of graduation, according to Drake’s website. This number was a large reason why I chose to come to Drake two years ago. Having that statistic in my back pocket always made me feel very proud of my school and the commitment that we all share to our education.

One thing I wish U.S. News would have mentioned is our location in Des Moines. Des Moines has been named one of the best places for millennials to start their careers and also as a vibrant city for young people. Being only 10 minutes from downtown, Drake is located in the midst of it all while still being secluded, which is another reason I fell in love with Drake.

With all these amazing qualities plus many, many more, you may be asking yourself, “Well, then why aren’t we number one?” It may have to do with the fact that when you’re scrolling down the list of Best Midwest Universities, the price of every university is plain as day. Drake has the highest tuition and fees compared to the other top 10 schools. Although, Drake’s website claims that 100 percent of students receive scholarships, it doesn’t make the large number any less daunting. And let me just say this: if we’re the most expensive school in this category, then why can’t we get better food? That’s a whole different discussion for another time, but am I right?

Despite my grievances with the food, I am so proud to attend a university that is ranked 3rd against the rest of the midwestern universities. No matter the reason you came to Drake, we’re glad you’re here and this ranking is as much the University’s as it is our own because without us being the amazing people that we are, Drake wouldn’t be what it is.

Congratulations faculty, staff and students on this representation of the place that we call home.