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DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·depaul.edu
6-yr Graduation
68%
-7.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
21,210
peer median 14,565
Avg net price
$29,141
-$1.1k vs R2 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
31,266
31,266 candidates competed
Admitted
23,729
75.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,566
10.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
68%-7.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
55%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
68%
Full-time retention
86%

Pell equity

7.0pp gap
Pell recipients
63%
Non-Pell
70%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 7.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 240 Title IV programs, 77 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 3 fail. 160 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
240
Passing
77
32.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
3
1.3% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.3%
+0.7pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

240programs
  • Passing77 · 32.1%
  • No Data160 · 66.7%
  • Failing3 · 1.2%

Severity spectrum

Critical
1
Severe
1
Recoverable
1
At Risk
3
Watch
3
Safe
71
No data
160

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

80
Music
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-19.9%
$38,670 vs $48,304
Journalism
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
-12.6%
$51,338 vs $58,761
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.6%
$46,553 vs $48,304
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+3.8%
$64,207 vs $61,854
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+6.5%
$37,085 vs $34,808
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+7.6%
$51,971 vs $48,304
Communication and Media Studies
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+16.4%
$68,404 vs $58,761
International Relations and National Security Studies
Master's Degree · Social Sciences
+19.6%
$75,622 vs $63,250

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.6%
$1,751
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+3.8%
+$2,353

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

73
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
171%
$89,037 debt · $51,971 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
152%
$70,968 debt · $46,553 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
114%
$68,666 debt · $60,329 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
112%
$119,941 debt · $107,264 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
110%
$100,095 debt · $91,098 earn
Music
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
106%
$41,000 debt · $38,670 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
101%
$68,333 debt · $67,412 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Master's Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
96%
$71,572 debt · $74,702 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1925Next review Aug 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 13

Action history · 16

  1. Dec 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
  2. Aug 2024Initial Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  3. Nov 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  4. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  5. Apr 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$23,758
$30–48k$24,181
$48–75k$26,576
$75–110k$30,294
$110k+$35,894

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$29,141
-$1,095vs R2 Research median $30,237
Federal loans
47.2%
In-state tuition
$44,460
Out-of-state
$44,460

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 5,820 students received $32.6M in Pell grants, alongside $175.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
5,820
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$32.6M
$32,590,103 total
Direct Loans
$175.4M
17,139 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

5k
20
5k
21
5k
22
5k
23
6k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$22.7M
5,423 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$20.6M
5,701 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$49.4M
2,744 loan awards
Parent PLUS$57.2M
2,222 loan awards
Grad PLUS$25.4M
1,049 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 5,497 borrowers who entered repayment, 55 (1.0%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.0%
-1.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
5,497
Defaulted
55
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.1%
2017
4.5%
2018
3.7%
2019
1.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at DePaul

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs223
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

5,037 total completions
01Business
1,50229.8%
02Computer Sciences
79815.8%
03Visual/Performing Arts
58511.6%
04Health Professions
4348.6%
05Education
3957.8%
06Communication
3086.1%
07Social Sciences
3006.0%
08Psychology
2655.3%
09Multi/Interdisciplinary
2494.9%
10Legal Professions
2014.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
21,210
12-mo unduplicated
24,433
Undergraduate
15,813
Graduate
8,620

Gender split

Men
45%11,007
Women
55%13,426

Race / ethnicity composition

White
45.9%
Hispanic
24.2%
Asian
12.1%
Black
7.7%
Two or more
4.5%
Non-resident
3.7%
Unknown
1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
232
105 M · 127 W
Women athletes
54.7%
Athletic aid
$7.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$42.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.8M
$4.4M
Recruiting expense
$502K
$216K
Head-coach salaries
$377K
$184K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
87 M · 90 W
$2.6M
Soccer
34 M · 30 W
$2.6M
Basketball
16 M · 13 W
$15.9M
Softball
· 23 W
$1.6M
Tennis
10 M · 8 W
$1.3M
Volleyball
· 16 W
$1.2M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
5.59
117 offenses · 20,917 students

3-year trend

3.692 yrs ago4.571 yr ago5.59Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
297
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
70
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
4
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
44
Robbery
37
Aggravated assault
13
Burglary
10
Fondling
8
Rape
4
Arson
1

By location

117total
  • On campus28
  • Non-campus2
  • Public property87

Includes 10 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

16
Domestic violence
7
Dating violence
4
Stalking
27 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race2

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons140
Drugs344
Liquor087

Residence-hall fires

  • University Center2 fires
    Open flamesDamage $100,000-$249,999
  • University Center2 fires
    OtherDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 5 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
858

DePaul vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions DePaul selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectDePaul University
68%21,210$29,141R2 Research
Loyola University Chicago
75%81.6%17,384$35,196R2 Research
Illinois Institute of Technology
75%54.9%8,834$19,353R2 Research
Marquette University
83%81.3%11,746$29,237R2 Research
University of Dayton
80%65.4%10,506$31,236R2 Research
Nova Southeastern University
63%73.2%20,910$31,303R2 Research
Peer group median75%73.2%14,565$30,237

Frequently asked questions about DePaul University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about DePaul.

What is the graduation rate at DePaul University?

DePaul University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 68% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend DePaul University?

DePaul University reports a total enrollment of 21,210 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at DePaul University?

The average net price at DePaul University is $29,141 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at DePaul University?

DePaul University's yield rate is 10.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is DePaul University located?

DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois 60604.

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