DePaul University

DePaul University is a private university dedicated to academic excellence. Based in Chicago in the United States, it has been named as one of the Best National Universities (U.S. News & World Report 2025) and one of the nation's Best Value Colleges (U.S. News & World Report 2025).

There are more than 300 undergraduate and graduate programs to choose from, led by passionate and experienced teaching staff across ten colleges and schools. The university boasts small class sizes, where there is an average student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. This means that all students receive the dedicated attention they need.

Students come from 130 countries and 50 states to study at DePaul. The university is spread over two city-center campuses – Loop Campus in the business district, and Lincoln Park Campus, which is near to Lake Michigan.

University premises have everything that students need – basic amenities, comfortable housing, recreation facilities, athletics, and much more. During their free time, international students can enjoy more than 350 student-led organizations. These include sports clubs, special interest groups, community service initiatives, and professional development.

All 92 percent of DePaul undergraduate students enter into professional employment or continue their studies within six months of graduating. The dedicated careers center is on-hand to provide support with all areas related to careers, such as CV writing and interview skills, from friendly career counselors or online help services.

Chicago is an excellent location for any student. It's full of cultural experiences including performance theatres, museums, and music festivals, has 26 miles of lakefront, and is home to over 30 Fortune 500 Companies, making it an ideal place to settle as a professional.

The following are some of the distinctions achieved by DePaul University in recent times:

• Ranked among the Best National Universities, U.S. News & World Report (2025)
• Named one of the Best Midwestern Colleges in the U.S., the Princeton Review's the Best 390 Colleges (2025)
• Ranked #62 among Best Value Colleges, U.S. News & World Report (2025)
• Chicago is ranked one of the Best College Locations in America, Niche (2025)

Technology

• 3rd graduate cybersecurity degree in the nation, Fortune (2024)
• 34th undergraduate school for game design, The Princeton Review (2024)
• 13h animation school in the nation, Animation Career Review (2025)
• 23rd graduate school for game design, The Princeton Review (2024)

Business

• 12th undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the nation, The Princeton Review (2025)
• Among the country's best undergraduate business programs, U.S. News & World Report (2018)
• 15th MBA entrepreneurship program in the nation, The Princeton Review (2025)

Arts

• 11th film school in the nation, The Hollywood Reporter (2024)
• Top 50 film schools in the U.S. (#19), The Wrap (2024)

Communication

• 1st Outstanding PR Education Program of the year, PRWeek Awards (2022).

DePaul University's Schools and Colleges include:

College of Communication

Students can pursue communication studies including media and cinema studies, digital communication, public relations, and advertising.

Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media

CDM offers students a collaborative education where technology, artistry, and business intersect. CDM is organized into three schools.

College of Education

The college offers degree programs in bilingual/bicultural education; counselling; curriculum studies; early childhood education; educational leadership, and world language education.

College of Law

The DePaul College of Law has some of the best health law and intellectual property programs in the nation (U.S. News & World Report).

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

LAS offers degree programs in the humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields, including anthropology, economics, history, political science, and world languages and cultures.

College of Science and Health

The College of Science and Health teaches many programs in the areas of biology, chemistry and biochemistry, environmental science, health sciences, mathematics, neuroscience, nursing, physics and psychology.

Driehaus College of Business

The college provides access to the highest-quality business education as a means for achieving intellectual and professional goals.

Kellstadt Graduate School of Business

The Kellstadt Graduate School of Business prepares students to be leaders by frequently updating its programs to keep pace with the dynamics of global business.​​

Undergraduate admissions

Students educated outside the U.S. for secondary school (high school) are required to submit an exam score that meets our English proficiency requirement.

If the English proficiency scores are below the minimum requirement, students might be considered for conditional admission.

Students can demonstrate proof of English proficiency by ​one of the following:

• TOEFL iBT – minimum score of 80 with no section below 17
• IELTS Academic​ – minimum score of 6.5
• SAT – minimum reading and writing score of 550
• ACT – minimum score of 18 in reading and 20 in English
• PTE Academic – minimum score of 53
• Duolingo – minimum score of 115

Conditional Admission English Language Requirement

• TOEFL iBT – minimum score of 60
• IELTS Academic – minimum score of 6.0
• PTE Academic – minimum score of 42

Postgraduate admissions

Graduate applicants are those who have completed or are in the process of completing the equivalent to a United States bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, either in the United States or abroad, and are welcome to apply to a graduate or professional program of study. The programs offered by DePaul University include MA, MS, MFA, PhD, LLM and JD.

All students are encouraged to check the specific requirements for international admission and their chosen program.

The university's facilities include:

DePaul University Library

The DePaul University Library is home to an extensive collection of learning resources including over one million physical and digital books. It also offers many support services to aid student learning.

DePaul Art Museum

Students can enjoy the university's own art museum, which has 4–6 rotating exhibitions each year. It houses some of the world's most amazing works, including work by Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol.

Accommodation options

Lincoln Park – Students can enjoy a traditional college experience by living on the Lincoln Park Campus. Spread over 30-acres, the campus is just one mile from Lake Michigan and is home to traditional halls of residence and apartments. Rooms are fully furnished.

Loop Housing – Shared with other local universities, students can live close to the Loop Campus where they can choose from high-rise suites and apartments.

DePaul University ensures that campus safety is a top priority in a variety of different ways, including:

Call boxes and house phones

A number of well-marked exterior call boxes are located throughout the Lincoln Park campus. These emergency call boxes can be used to report any type of emergency.

DPU Alert

DPU Alert is DePaul University's emergency notification system, where all students, faculty, staff, and visitors can immediately be notified of any distressing situations. This is done through telephone, text or email, where the university sends messages about incidents and instructions of what to do to be safe.

Safety escort service

DePaul University has its own Public Safety Department, where an escort service is available. This provides students who feel uncomfortable traveling about campus alone with a friendly officer who will accompany them to where they need to go.

New and innovative Grace School of Applied Diplomacy

DePaul University recently received an incredible gift of USD 20 million to establish the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy.

Based within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the multidisciplinary Grace School prepares students for diplomacy careers in a wide variety of areas. It offers exciting undergraduate and graduate programs in Applied Diplomacy, where students develop professional skills in conflict resolution, mediation, and bridge-building.

The Grace School transcends a traditional educational approach and aims to prepare the next generation of pioneering leaders. It's designed to empower individuals to pursue sustainable social justice at home and overseas, where they are equipped with the tools to face some of the world's most vexing challenges.

Graduate students can earn an MA in Applied Diplomacy, while undergraduate students can pursue a BA. Both programs offer a wide range of concentrations—including Urban Diplomacy, Diplomacy and the Arts, and Diplomacy and International Law—providing students with the flexibility to tailor their studies toward diverse career paths.