University Enrollment
Undergraduate Enrollment
Freshman Enrollment
Freshman Enrollment Trends
Retention and Graduation Rates
Transfer Enrollment
Transfer Enrollment Trends
Graduate and Law Enrollment
New Master's Enrollment Trends
Diversity
Campuses
National Comparisons
DePaul remains, for the 14th consecutive year, the nation's largest Catholic university, with a total student enrollment of 25,398. From 2010 to 2011, DePaul's enrollment grew by 1%, with enrollment at the other nine largest Catholic universities held steady on average.
Students registered for a total of 304,086 credit hours in fall 2011, up 20% since 2002. Seventy-seven percent of these credit hours are generated by undergraduate courses and 23% by graduate and law courses.
DePaul's fall 2011 total enrollment by college is as follows:
From 2002 to 2011, undergraduate enrollment has grown 14% and continues to grow as a share of total enrollment, increasing from 62% in 2002 to 65% in 2011. Graduate enrollment has grown by 2% and accounts for 31% of university enrollment, compared with 34% in 2002. College of Law enrollment has decreased by 2% since 2002 and accounts for 4% of total enrollment, compared with 5% in 2002.
DePaul's total enrollment of 25,398 represents a diverse student body in terms of ethnicity, geography and other demographics. A total of 53% are women. Thirty-two percent are students of color. Students under 24 years of age account for 54% of enrollment.
These students come from all 50 states and 101 countries.
A total of 16,384 undergraduates enrolled for this fall term, an increase of 2% from 2010 and 9% from the class five years ago in 2007.
This year, 82% of undergraduates (13,457) are enrolled full time, compared with 80% in 2007 and 73% in 2002. Full-time enrollment has increased 12% since 2007, while part-time enrollment has declined by 2%. All colleges have more than 85% full-time undergraduate enrollment, with the exception of SNL's undergraduate enrollment, which is mostly part time (87%).
A total of 3,988 undergraduates (24%) are 24 years of age or older, consistent with 2010 and compared with 31% in 2002. The profile of these adult undergraduates has changed over the past 10 years. Compared with 2002, a higher percentage of DePaul's adult undergraduates in fall 2011 are men (48%, compared with 40%), enrolled full time (38%, compared with 26%) and enrolled as degree-seeking students (94%, compared with 91%).
In 2011, half of all adult undergraduates are in SNL (45%), compared with 48% in 2010 and 51% in 2002.
DePaul welcomed a class of 2,458 new freshmen in fall 2011, which was intentionally larger than the 2010 class of 2,241.
By Academic Profile
On measures of academic preparedness, the fall 2011 freshman class is strongest in DePaul's history. The average high school GPA, which is the best predictor of success at DePaul, is the highest-ever at 3.55. The percentage of freshmen who graduated in the top 10% of their high school classes has increased from 21% in 2007 class five years ago to 25% this year.
The average ACT composite score is 25.4, with the middle 50% of the class scoring between 23 and 28. Nationally, the average ACT composite is 21 in 2011. In 2007, the average ACT for DePaul freshmen was 24.9, while nationally it was 21.2.
By Gender and Ethnicity
The fall 2011 freshman class is 43% male; this is the highest proportion in five years. This year, the freshman class is 32% minority. The proportion who did not report ethnicity is 5% of the class, compared with 4% in 2010. Based only on those who reported ethnicity in 2011, the freshman class is 34% minority. This fall, DePaul enrolled:
By Geography
The geographic distribution of this year's freshman class is slightly different from the 2007 class five years ago. In 2011, almost half of all freshmen are from the suburbs (45%), compared with 47% in 2007; another 33% are from out of state, compared with 30% in 2007; and 19% are from the city of Chicago, compared with 16% in 2007.
In fall 2011, DePaul's top feeder states for enrolled freshmen include Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, California and Wisconsin. Of freshmen from Illinois, the top five feeder high schools are Lane Tech College Prep High School (Chicago), Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire), Whitney M. Young Magnet High School (Chicago), Hinsdale Township Central High School (Hinsdale) and Lyons Township North Campus High School (LaGrange).
First-generation Freshmen
Enrolling this fall are 888 first-generation freshmen from families where neither parent has a college degree. First-generation students represent 36% of the freshman class, the same as 2010 and more than the proportion in 2007 (30%). Nearly half of this year's first-generation students come from the suburbs (46%), and another 32% come from the city of Chicago.
First-generation freshmen enrolled in all colleges with the largest proportion in COM (28%), followed by LAS (25%) and CSH (18%). Fifty-five percent of full-time first-generation freshmen live in residence halls, compared with 70% of all full-time freshmen.
Sixty percent of this year's first-generation freshmen are female. Of all first-generation freshmen, 27% are Hispanic/Latino and 10% are African-American.
While 36% of all freshmen are first generation, 61% of all Hispanic/Latino freshmen and 54% of all African-American freshmen are first-generation college students.
Fall 2011 marks the first term in which freshman students had the option of applying to DePaul using the Common Application, a standardized first-year application form for use at any Common Application Association member institution nationally. DePaul received 16,711 applications for fall 2011, compared with 12,031 in 2010, a nearly 40% increase in applications. Forty-six percent of the freshman applicants submitted their application using the Common Application; of these, 57% were from out of state.
In terms of diversity, the most notable increase in freshman applications was from African-American students (up 52%) and Hispanic/Latino students (up 40%).
Applications from students with ACT scores of 28 or above represented 18% of the application pool.
The largest increase in applications from 2010 to 2011 was from out of state and the city of Chicago (up 49% and 42%, respectively). Applications from out-of-state inquiries accounted for 41% of the pool, compared with 38% in 2010. Suburban applications accounted for 32% of the pool, compared with 36% in 2010, and city of Chicago applications were consistent with 2010 at 21% of the pool.
Returning in fall 2011 for their sophomore year are 86.4% of the fall 2010 full-time freshmen, similar to 86.9% of the prior year's freshman class. In general, freshman retention rates have trended upward over the past five years.
Of the fall 2005 full-time freshmen, 66.3% had graduated from DePaul six years later. The average six-year graduation rate for freshmen entering DePaul from 1996 to 2000 was 63.2%. From 2001 to 2005, the average six-year graduation rate was 64.9%.
At the close of the 2010-11 academic year, DePaul had awarded a total of 6,490 degrees: 3,463 bachelor's degrees, 2,642 master's degrees, 29 certificates, 29 doctoral degrees, 320 juris doctor (J.D.) degrees and 7 master of laws (LL.M.) degrees.
Bachelor's degrees accounted for 53% of the degrees awarded, compared with 51% in 2007. Master's degrees accounted for 41%, degrees in law accounted for 5%, and doctoral degrees accounted for 0.4%.
Of the 3,463 bachelor's degree recipients, 55% originally enrolled at DePaul as freshmen and 44% enrolled as transfers.
In addition, 29% of these bachelor's degrees were awarded to students of color, similar to 30% in 2009-10.
From 2006-07 to 2010-11, DePaul awarded 17% more degrees, with a 22% increase in bachelor's degrees and a 14% increase in master's degrees. Over the same period, law degrees declined by 10%, while doctoral degrees have remained consistent.
Fall 2011 marks the largest transfer class to date. A total of 1,772 new undergraduate transfer students enrolled in fall 2011, up 11% from 1,596 last year and up 32% from 2007. The three colleges with the largest transfer enrollments are LAS (424 students), COM (397 students) and CSH (254 students).
Enrollment of transfer students increased in the following colleges: CSH (up 40%), CDM (up 28%) and CMN (up 28%).
A total of 242 new transfers enrolled in SNL, compared with 230 in 2010, a 5% increase. Another 1,530 new transfers enrolled in DePaul's other colleges, compared with 1,366 in 2010.
Until 1997, the number of new transfers generally equaled the number of new freshmen enrolled each fall, but the strategic emphasis in Vision 2006 on freshman enrollment growth shifted this ratio. By 2006, 33% of new degree-seeking undergraduates were transfers, compared with 48% in 1997.
In 2007, the VISION twenty12 strategic plan focused additional emphasis on transfer enrollment. This fall, transfers account for 42% of new degree-seeking undergraduates.
By Gender and Ethnicity
Half of all new transfers are female (49%) in 2011, compared with 51% in 2007.
In 2011, 40% of all new transfers are students of color, including 58 students (3%) who indicated a multiracial/non-Hispanic background. Based on the 94% of transfers who reported ethnicity in 2011, the transfer class is 43% minority, compared with 34% of new freshmen. This fall, DePaul enrolled:
By Geography
DePaul remains a top destination for transfer students in Illinois. Illinois community colleges are the leading source of these new transfer students, accounting for 57% in fall 2011. A smaller percentage of new transfer students come from Illinois' private institutions (10%) and public universities (6%). In addition, 27% transferred from out-of-state institutions, and 1% transferred with credit for equivalent experience.
Of the 993 transfer students from Illinois community colleges, 70% are from suburban Chicago, 70% are under 24 years of age, and 44% are students of color.
The top five community colleges sending students to DePaul in 2011 are College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn), Oakton Community College (Des Plaines), William Rainey Harper College (Palatine), Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills) and Harold Washington College (Chicago).
By Age
From 2007 to 2011, the proportion of transfers under 24 years of age declined from 72% to 68%. Of these 1,202 transfers who are under 24 years of age, 28% are enrolled in LAS, and 25% are enrolled in COM. The majority of these transfers are full time (96%); half enrolled as sophomores (51%) with another 17% enrolled as freshmen. Thirty-eight percent of these transfers are students of color.
The 567 transfers who are 24 years of age or older now represent just under one-third of the transfer class (32%). Forty-two percent of these adult transfers are in SNL, 16% in LAS and 17% in COM. Only half are full time (49%), and 44% are students of color. Nineteen percent of adult transfers are African-American, and another 18% are Hispanic/Latino, compared with 7% and 16% of transfers under 24 years of age, respectively. Slightly more than one-third entered DePaul as sophomores (35%), 31% entered as seniors and few entered as freshmen (7%).
Demand for admission to DePaul from the transfer and returning adult market has grown 51% from 2002 to 2011 as the result of the university's successful recruitment, innovations in transfer admission and advising, and strong market position and prominence.
From 2002 to 2006, transfer applications held steady at around 3,500, while new enrollments declined 12% from 1,387 to 1,241. This decrease was due to a declining admit rate and lower yield rate.
From 2007 to 2011, transfer applications increased each year, in total by 35%. Applications to all colleges from students under age 24 increased by 31% from 2007, and applications from students age 24 or older increased by 45%.
Transfer applications have increased across all colleges. CMN transfer applications have more than doubled from 222 in 2007 to 512 in 2011, a 131% increase. The second largest five-year increase was in CDM applications (up 95%), followed by CSH (up 75%) and SNL (up 68%).
In fall 2011, a total of 7,983 graduate students enrolled; this is comparable to the 2010 class of 8,017, and up 9% from the class five years ago in 2007. With 2,115 graduate students and 5% growth in graduate enrollment from 2007 to 2011, KGSB is the largest college for graduate enrollment, followed by CDM, COE and LAS.
In 2011, 60% of all graduate students are enrolled full time, taking eight or more credit hours per quarter, up from 57% in 2007. Full-time graduate enrollment varies by college. The colleges whose graduate enrollment is primarily full time include Theatre (100%), CMN (74%), KGSB (66%), COE (65%) and CSH (65%). The largest proportion of part-time graduate enrollment is in SNL (95%).
Doctoral Enrollment
In 2011, DePaul enrolled 270 doctoral students, up from 263 in 2010. More than one-third are enrolled in CSH (36%) with another 33% in COE; 14% of all graduate students in CSH are doctoral students and 6% of all graduate students in COE are doctoral students. Doctoral enrollment accounts for 3% of graduate enrollment overall.
Law Enrollment
The College of Law welcomed 334 new law students with a total enrollment of 1,031, down 4% from 2010.
In 2011, 82% of all law students are enrolled full time, compared with 80% in 2007. A total of 71% are over 24 years of age and 48% are female. Forty-four percent of all law students are from out of state, 27% are from suburban Chicago and 21% are from the city of Chicago.
New Master's Enrollment
The majority (94%) of new graduate enrollment is made up of students pursuing master's degrees. This fall, a total of 1,874 new master's students enrolled, up 6% from 2010 and up 15% from 2007. KGSB had the largest increase in new master's enrollment this year. KGSB accounts for 31% of new master's students, followed by CDM with 17%, LAS with 17% and COE with 15%.
By Gender and Ethnicity
More than half of new master's students are female (58%), which is the largest proportion to date. In total, new master's enrollment of multiracial/non-Hispanic, Asian and Hispanic/Latino students increased by 29%, 23% and 10%, respectively; African-American enrollment decreased by 8% and Caucasian enrollment decreased by 3%. Twenty-three percent of new master's students in 2011 are students of color, consistent with 2010, and compared with 18% in 2007.
By Geography
Similar to 2010, 39% of new master's students in 2011 are from the city of Chicago (40% in 2010) and 30% are from the suburbs, compared with 32% in 2010. Twenty-one percent of new master's students in 2011 are from out of state, 8% are from international locations and another 3% are from other locations in Illinois.
International student enrollment (those on an F1 or J1 visa) increased by 52% from 2010 (from 220 to 335 students) and accounts for 18% of all new master's students.
By Age
Almost half of the new master's students are between 24 and 29 years of age (45%) and the average age for new master's students is 27, the same as in 2010.
In 2011, DePaul enrolled 8,031 students of color, up 5% (or 364 students) from 7,667 students in 2010; this is five times the enrollment gain of DePaul as a whole from 2010 to 2011 (up 1% or 253 students). This includes 630 students with multiracial/non-Hispanic backgrounds, 27% more than in 2010.
Minority enrollment accounts for 32% of total enrollment, 35% of undergraduate enrollment and 25% of graduate and professional enrollment.
Nearly half of all credit hours in fall 2011 are generated at the Lincoln Park Campus (48%), compared with 51% of total hours in 2007. From 2007 to 2011, hours at the Lincoln Park Campus increased by 5%, while hours at the Loop Campus increased by 14%, or from 41% to 42% of total credit hours.
Another 19,216 credit hours are generated through online learning, up 23% from 2010 and up 74% from 2007. This fall, online hours account for 6% of the total credit hours, compared with 4% in 2007.
A total of 4,044 students registered for online courses, including 1,787 undergraduate and 2,257 graduate students. This is a 20% increase from 3,384 students in 2010. Of the students registering for online courses, 38% of undergraduates and 62% of graduates (or 668 and 1,089 students, respectively) are exclusively online this fall, not simultaneously enrolled in other campus-based courses. Of these, 43% currently live in the suburbs, 27% live in the city of Chicago and 27% live out of state.
DePaul is the largest private, not-for-profit university in the Midwest and is in the top 10 in the nation. DePaul has been the largest Catholic university in the nation for 14 consecutive years, having exceeded St. John's University in total enrollment in 1998 and in undergraduate enrollment in 2007.
From 2002 to 2011, the 10 largest Catholic institutions grew by 15%, or 21,170 students. DePaul grew by 9%, or 2,171 students, accounting for 10% of the growth at these institutions. While enrollment at the 10 largest Catholic institutions held steady from 2010 to 2011, on average, Saint Louis University had the largest one-year increase among these institutions (2%), and St. John's University, the second largest Catholic institution, had the largest one-year decrease (1.3%).
Overall, the top 10 private, not-for-profit universities enrolled 312,932 students in 2011 and have grown by 8% since 2007 in total enrollment, while DePaul has grown by 9%. Similar to last year, the fastest-growing institution is Northeastern University, with 27% growth to 31,020 students from 2007 to 2011, and the school with the largest one-year increase in enrollment at 5%.