DePaul University

DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, is a very cool place. When I have students who love NYU, I often add DePaul to their list. Why? They’re both urban, diverse institutions, well-integrated into their respective cities, in very cool neighborhoods – NYU in the Village, and DePaul primarily based in Lincoln Park. But DePaul, with 14,000 undergraduates, is a more manageable size. And DePaul has a much more reasonable bar for admission. And DePaul gives very generous merit scholarships, making it far more affordable for many.

DePaul was founded in 1898 by Vincentians, a Catholic order which takes its name from St. Vincent DePaul, with one question in mind: What must be done? So yes, DePaul is Catholic, but it doesn’t feel, look, or smell Catholic. Like other Catholic institutions, two religion courses are required for graduation, but they don’t have to be Christian in nature; in fact, a bioethics class counts toward the requirement.

There is actually a second campus in the Loop neighborhood, a 15-20 minute train ride away, and the university also provides a free shuttle between the two campuses all day, following the class schedule. The Loop campus is smaller: about one city block in size. And all DePaul students get a free Chicago Transit Authority pass. On the Lincoln Park campus, there are 12 residence halls. They don’t like to use the word “guaranteed” regarding freshman housing, but they do prioritize out-of-state students. If second-year students want to live on campus as well, they can almost always accommodate them, although most students move off campus after freshman year, and living on campus is never required. Interestingly, Chicago remains a relatively affordable housing market, and students can cut the $19K room and board fee by half by moving off campus.

Some other tidbits: one-third of DePaul students are first generation. The nursing program is direct-admit. The honors programs includes an honors living learning community. The BSMD program requires test scores, while all other programs are test-optional. They work on a quarter system, and students are on break from Thanksgiving until early January. 40% of students are from out-of-state. And lastly, merit scholarships range from $13K to $31K, and they’re happy to consider appeals with a new transcript.

The best moment of our visit was when we unexpectedly ran into a member of the faculty who stopped to chat with us. She introduced herself and was eager to share how much she valued the community and the mission of the university. She said that anyone can walk into the office of any faculty or staff member on campus at any time and ask: how are you living up to the Vencentian mission? And they can tell you. And that’s DePaul. Not hit-you-over-the-head Catholic at all. But absolutely living up to the spirit of the Church and the order of St. Vincent de Paul.