National university
#7 Best colleges in the Chicago areaDePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $30,902 a year
Median debt at graduation: $23,168 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
DePaul University Campus Tour! · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#119 of 1,046
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#154 of 950
- Best colleges in the Chicago area#7 of 39
- Best colleges for nursing in America#192 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#207 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#166 of 834
Show 8 more
- Best colleges for business in America#314 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#266 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#266 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#171 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#330 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#436 of 1,829
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#330 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#312 of 1,283
In Illinois
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Illinois#3 of 36
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Illinois#4 of 34
- Best colleges for accounting in Illinois#6 of 41
- Best colleges for nursing in Illinois#5 of 33
- Best colleges for marketing in Illinois#6 of 35
- Best colleges for education in Illinois#10 of 49
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- Best colleges in Illinois#12 of 57
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Illinois#12 of 57
- Best colleges for business in Illinois#11 of 52
- Best test-optional colleges in Illinois#12 of 56
- Best colleges for English in Illinois#11 of 49
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Illinois#11 of 48
- Best colleges for art and design in Illinois#11 of 47
- Best colleges for mathematics in Illinois#11 of 47
- Best colleges for music in Illinois#11 of 46
- Best colleges for finance in Illinois#7 of 29
- Best colleges for history in Illinois#11 of 45
- Best colleges for psychology in Illinois#12 of 49
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Illinois#12 of 48
- Best colleges for chemistry in Illinois#12 of 46
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.68%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.86%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,262 · ACT 28
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,870
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $63,052 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 14,374 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 45% · Women 55% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 30% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 30% |
| Total students | 21,348 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $30,902 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $63,052 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,168 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 68% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 68% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 68% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 62% |
| First-year retention | 86% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $68,751 |
| Admission rate | 76% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 32% |
| Average SAT | 1262 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 580–670 |
| SAT math | 560–660 |
| ACT composite | 25–31 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Information technology | |
| Programming | |
| Economics | |
| Software and media applications | |
| Management information systems | |
| Finance | |
| Accounting | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Networking | |
| Mathematics | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Information science | |
| Marketing | |
| Management science | |
| Business administration | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Public relations | |
| International relations | |
| Health sciences | |
| Journalism | |
| Biology | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Political science | |
| Secondary education | |
| Communication studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Design | |
| Teacher education | |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | |
| Sociology | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| English | |
| Anthropology | |
| Romance languages | |
| Area studies | |
| History | |
| Film and video | |
| Graphic communications | |
| Music | |
| Theatre | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation, Arts management, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Clinical laboratory science, Computer science, Criminology, Data Science, Entrepreneurship, Geography, German, Health administration, Kinesiology and exercise science, Mathematics and Computer Science, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Neuroscience, Nursing, Other communications technologies/technicians and support services, Other computer and information sciences and support services, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies, Philosophy, Physics, Public Policy Analysis, Real Estate, Religious studies, Special education, Systems Engineering, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Social sciences | |
| Communication |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 6% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 10% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $19,095 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big East Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 17 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 50%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $45,938Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 19% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)About 9 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 2,711,2262020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | ChicagoAbout 4 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 26°F1991–2020 normal, from CHICAGO NORTHERLY IS, IL US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 74°F1991–2020 normal, from CHICAGO NORTHERLY IS, IL US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.09 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is DePaul University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 24% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does DePaul University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $30,902 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into DePaul University?
- DePaul University admitted 76% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do DePaul University’s graduates do?
- 68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $68,751; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,168.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 144740
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Roman Catholic
- Report an error or a newer source
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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