DePaul University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Chicago, Illinois · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective · CDS 2023-2024
DePaul University is a private nonprofit university in Chicago, Illinois that admits about 55% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $19,353 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Computer Science, Architectural Sciences and Technology and Mechanical Engineering, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 72% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 7.8 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
DePaul University is a private institution located in Chicago, Illinois with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, DePaul University admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 55%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1296 and an ACT composite around 29. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,353 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether DePaul University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for DePaul University?
DePaul University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does DePaul University weight in admissions?
DePaul University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2023-2024). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Interview
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores DePaul University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–720, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–31. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1190 |
| 50th percentile | 1300 |
| 75th percentile | 1400 |
| % submitting SAT | 45% |
| 25th percentile | 25 |
| 50th percentile | 28 |
| 75th percentile | 31 |
| % submitting ACT | 11% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 39% |
| Top 25% of class | 77% |
| Top 50% of class | 97% |
| % submitting class rank | 26% |
How much does DePaul University actually cost?
Published tuition is $51,763 for in-state students and $51,763 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,528 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $19,353 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 29% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $19,353 |
| Application fee | $0 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for DePaul University
| Regular deadline | 8/1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 or within 3 weeks if notified thereafter |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | 11/1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 68% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/15 |
Will my child graduate from DePaul University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at DePaul University
The most popular undergraduate programs at DePaul University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Architectural Sciences and Technology and Mechanical Engineering. Across all programs, DePaul University confers roughly 437 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Computer Science program report a median income of about $113,931 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 107 | $113,931 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 76 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 73 | $88,837 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 63 | $101,049 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 34 | $72,853 |
| Civil Engineering | 31 | $84,660 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 28 | $75,993 |
| Chemical Engineering | 25 | $94,955 |
Is DePaul University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), DePaul University disclosed 22 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 7.8 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 8 violent offenses and 4 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at DePaul University?
About 41% of undergraduates at DePaul University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 4% of men join a fraternity and 8% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Illinois parents ask about
- University of Chicago7% acceptance
- Northwestern University5% acceptance
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign44% acceptance
- University of Illinois Chicago70% acceptance
- Loyola University Chicago93% acceptance
- Illinois State University89% acceptance
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale90% acceptance
- Lake Forest College54% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like DePaul University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like DePaul University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about DePaul University
What GPA do I need for DePaul University?
DePaul University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does DePaul University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–720, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–31.
How much does DePaul University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at DePaul University after grants and scholarships is $19,353 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is DePaul University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, DePaul University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at DePaul University?
DePaul University accepts about 55% of applicants out of roughly 8,912 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is DePaul University test-optional?
Yes. DePaul University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at DePaul University?
About 72% of students at DePaul University graduate within six years. 87% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at DePaul University?
DePaul University's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 68%, compared with its overall rate of 55%. Applying ED can meaningfully improve admission odds, but it is a binding commitment to enroll if accepted.
What does DePaul University look for in applicants?
DePaul University rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is DePaul University a public or private school, and where is it located?
DePaul University is a private nonprofit institution located in Chicago, Illinois.
What are the most popular majors at DePaul University?
The largest undergraduate majors at DePaul University by annual graduates are Computer Science, Architectural Sciences and Technology and Mechanical Engineering. The school awards about 437 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is DePaul University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
DePaul University reported 22 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 7.8 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at DePaul University?
At DePaul University, 41% of undergraduates live on campus, 4% of men are in fraternities, 8% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2023-2024 Common Data Set submitted by DePaul University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.