Drury vs Northwest Nazarene: Softball Program Comparison

Two D2 programs. Drury runs $5,199 less per year; Drury graduates 6 points more of its students.

Which one is right for you?

Neither school is better in the abstract — they are better for different athletes. These are the differences big enough to actually decide on.

Lean Drury if…

  • The number on the bill matters: Drury lists $5,199 less per year in tuition and housing than Northwest Nazarene, and neither charges by residency.
  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Drury graduates 6 percentage points more of its students than Northwest Nazarene.
  • You want to leave with less owed: median debt at Drury is $2,771 lower than at Northwest Nazarene.
  • You need an evaluation this summer: we track 3 camps at Drury against none listed at Northwest Nazarene.

Lean Northwest Nazarene if…

  • You are weighing the degree as an investment: Northwest Nazarene graduates earn about $11,025 more per year a decade after enrolling.

What it costs to go there

Published sticker price from IPEDS. Almost nobody pays it — athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off the top — but the gap between two schools is a fair read on the gap between two offers.

What it costs to go there: Drury compared with Northwest Nazarene
MeasureDruryNorthwest Nazarene
Tuition & feesBoth schools charge one rate regardless of residency.$35,235 Drury leads on this measure: lower published tuition$39,370
Room & board$10,486 Drury leads on this measure: lower room & board$11,550
Est. year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$45,721 Drury leads on this measure: lower total cost per year$50,920

What you leave with

Federal College Scorecard figures for all students at the institution, not softball players specifically. Read them as a signal about the degree, not about the program.

What you leave with: Drury compared with Northwest Nazarene
MeasureDruryNorthwest Nazarene
Graduation rate66% Drury leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree60%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$40,694/yr$51,719/yr Northwest Nazarene leads on this measure: higher median earnings a decade out
Median debt at graduation$20,979 Drury leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door$23,750
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.52%46% Northwest Nazarene leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn

Getting in, and what you'd walk into

Admissions and size. A coach can support your file, but at most schools they cannot admit you — the academic profile below is the bar you still have to clear.

Getting in, and what you'd walk into: Drury compared with Northwest Nazarene
MeasureDruryNorthwest Nazarene
Admission rateLower means more selective — harder to get in, but not automatically the better fit.58%65%
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.1,5961,774
Where it isSpringfield, MONampa, ID

The softball program itself

Division and conference set the ceiling; the postseason record and staff tell you what the program has actually done with it.

The softball program itself: Drury compared with Northwest Nazarene
MeasureDruryNorthwest Nazarene
ConferenceGLVCGNAC
Head coachBrooke GajewskiRich Wagner

How you actually get in front of them

Camps and questionnaires are the two channels a recruit controls. Where a program runs its own camp, that camp is usually the shortest path to being evaluated by the staff that would recruit you.

How you actually get in front of them: Drury compared with Northwest Nazarene
MeasureDruryNorthwest Nazarene
Camps we track3 listed (2 with dates)
Recruiting questionnaireYes
Program on X / InstagramYes

Scholarship money, honestly

Both programs sit at NCAA Division II, so the scholarship rules are identical: 7.2 (equivalency). Full athletic rides are rare at D2. With 7.2 equivalencies spread across a roster, nearly every scholarship is partial — but athletic aid stacks with academic and need-based aid.

How D2 softball scholarships actually work →

What to do about it this week

Questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit one at any age. A program's own camp is where its staff does most of its evaluating — submit the questionnaire first so they know to look for you.

Drury

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

Northwest Nazarene

Find the recruiting questionnaire

We do not hold a verified form link for this program — this opens a search.

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Drury vs Northwest Nazarene: common questions

Is Drury or Northwest Nazarene cheaper?
On published price, Drury is cheaper — about $45,721 a year in tuition and housing, against $50,920 at Northwest Nazarene. That is sticker price; athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off it, so ask both coaches what an actual offer would look like.
Which school graduates more of its students, Drury or Northwest Nazarene?
Drury, at 66% against 60% at Northwest Nazarene (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Drury and Northwest Nazarene offer softball scholarships?
Both play at NCAA Division II: 7.2 (equivalency). Full athletic rides are rare at D2. With 7.2 equivalencies spread across a roster, nearly every scholarship is partial — but athletic aid stacks with academic and need-based aid.
Do Drury and Northwest Nazarene run softball camps?
We track 3 camps at Drury and none currently listed at Northwest Nazarene. Camp listings change through the year — check the program's own site before ruling it out.
How do I contact the coaches at Drury and Northwest Nazarene?
Drury runs a recruiting questionnaire — submit it first, since questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules. For Northwest Nazarene, we do not hold a verified form link, so start from the program page and email the staff directly.

Cost, graduation and enrollment figures from IPEDS (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2023-24). Earnings, debt and admission rates from the federal College Scorecard. Postseason results from the NCAA Division I softball tournament records, 2021-2026. Rankings from NCAA.com and U.S. News & World Report. Figures describe the institution, not the softball roster.

We work hard to keep all data for Drury and Northwest Nazarene accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

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