A linear kinetic analysis of the universal drift mode, valid for arbitrary values of β( = 8πp/B2), is presented. The three high-β effects on the universal, ∇B drifting particles, coupling to the drift Alfvén wave and compressional magnetic fluctuations are examined in detail. For small values of β, the drift wave behavior is dominated by coupling to the Alfvén wave, while for β∼O(1) the wave behavior is determined by ∇B effects. For most plasma and wave parameters, the mode is stable for βi⩾7%. The stabilization mechanism is the Alfvén induced frequency downshift which reduces the parallel phase velocity of the wave until the (slightly) ∇B broadened ion Landau resonance damps the wave. For ηe( = ∂ ln Tc/∂ ln N)≳0, a peculiar case is found where the mode remains unstable for βi⩽0(50%). This is caused by the ∇B frequency upshift coupled with inverse transit time damping.