Chicago, IL · Private · 14,090 undergraduates · urban
DePaul University
Moderately selective
DePaul turns Chicago itself into a required first-quarter academic experience while dividing undergraduate life between Lincoln Park and the downtown Loop.
Institutional profile
Well established Strong in mobility, and solid in career outcomes.- Admission
- 73.5% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 67.7%
32,176 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$68,751 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets DePaul University apart
Academic design
Every first-year student completes Chicago Quarter, choosing either an immersion-style Discover Chicago course or a quarter-long Explore Chicago course.
Campus pattern
Lincoln Park provides the main residential campus, while Loop classrooms place business, computing, communication, and other students directly downtown.
A signature opportunity
Chicago Quarter requires new students to study a topic through both academic work and structured exploration of the city.
Can I get in?
73.5% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
32,176About 74 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 29% submitted an SAT, and 11% submitted an ACT. Treat the ACT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for DePaul University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What DePaul University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Every first-year student completes Chicago Quarter, choosing either an immersion-style Discover Chicago course or a quarter-long Explore Chicago course.
Make institutional fit specific
DePaul turns Chicago itself into a required first-quarter academic experience while dividing undergraduate life between Lincoln Park and the downtown Loop.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Performing and visual artsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Teacher preparationAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
DePaul University publishes four merit awards, the largest reaching $20,000 a year or more. No separate scholarship application is required; the college uses the admission application. All of them renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit · Renews each year
Open across the university · Merit · Guaranteed at a stated threshold · Renews each year
Open across the university · Merit · Guaranteed at a stated threshold · Renews each year
Through one school within the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews
MusicIn the season card
These four awards, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- How to be considered
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at DePaul University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Finance and Financial Management Services
Admits separately
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Admits separately
Psychology, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Admits separately
Accounting and Related Services
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
DePaul University beyond the classroom
Lincoln Park provides the main residential campus, while Loop classrooms place business, computing, communication, and other students directly downtown.
A defining academic feature
Every first-year student completes Chicago Quarter, choosing either an immersion-style Discover Chicago course or a quarter-long Explore Chicago course.
What shapes an ordinary week
Lincoln Park provides the main residential campus, while Loop classrooms place business, computing, communication, and other students directly downtown.
A reason to look closer
Chicago Quarter requires new students to study a topic through both academic work and structured exploration of the city.