Urban access
highTwo campuses provide deep access to Chicago.
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
DePaul University
DePaul is a large urban university with campuses in Lincoln Park and the Loop, strong professional programs, and a Vincentian service tradition. Chicago is central to learning and career access, while students build community across a distributed city environment.
- Professional learning across Chicago
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois · Fully urban setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 14,090
- Aggregate admission rate
- 75.9%
- Average net price
- $30,902
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Career orientation
highProfessional schools and city employers make career preparation prominent.
Learning by doing
highInternships and community projects connect learning with practice.
Community closeness
moderatePrograms and student groups can create smaller circles.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider DePaul University if…
- You want Chicago integrated into college.
- You value professional programs and internships.
- You prefer an urban, diverse university.
- You are comfortable building community intentionally.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You want a traditional enclosed campus.
- You prefer a small college.
- You dislike commuting between city locations.
- You want a quiet residential setting.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
Professional learning across Chicago
Internships, community partnerships, creative work, and city institutions extend study beyond classrooms.
Source: Experience Chicago
Academic choices and structure
Programs span business, computing, communication, arts, education, health, science, and liberal study.
Source: Academics
A setting that shapes the experience
Chicago, Illinois gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Experience Chicago
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
DePaul documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Experience Chicago
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 14,090 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 75.9%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $30,902. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:21
Per 1,000 enrolled:1.0
Reporting campuses:4
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating DePaul across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating DePaul across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating DePaul across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Experience Chicago - DePaul University (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Academics - DePaul University (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- DePaul University institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets DePaul’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION