DePaul University

This is one of the more lovely and wide-​spread campus based Universities in Chicago. The main Campus for DePaul — a distinctly Catholic University — is in Lincoln Park at Sheffield and Fullerton. As far as a neighborhood for a new college student goes — Lincoln Park offers a fantastic lifestyle. There is ample public transportation, as well as shops, bars, eateries, and theaters.
The Education at DePaul is excellent — and all of the people who I know who have attended this University were very happy with it.
My mother was an adjunct instructor here,. so I have an inner circle perception of the place. I would have loved to have attended this school.

Honestly, the quarter system which is separated into three 10 week quarters (4 if you count summer) is not a pleasant experience because it concentrates the material in the class. It’s just a very stressful system because midterms happen right on week 5. Additionally, I just had a horrible experience with one of the customer service representatives who was supposed to be helping me with my tuition bill. I can’t say that paying the higher tuition at DePaul university (as compared to UIC or U of I: Urbana) is worth it.

As a sophomore here at DePaul, I still am not sure if I can recommend this college. It is great for someone who loves the city, and is willing to spend the money it costs to live here. The classes vary so much it isn’t even funny. Right now my Fall quarter consists of the best class I have taken here as well as the worst one.
The on-​campus activities are frequent, though some of them feel half-​assed. The Greek life here is no where near the level it is at say, a state school, though that should be obvious. My fellow students and I frequently feel like DePaul is trying to get every last cent out of us with very expensive food and having random payments for small things.
Overall, I have been enjoying my experience here at DePaul, but that is more because of the people I have met here and because of being in the city, rather than what the school can provide.

Terrible. Do not attend.

DePaul’s School for New Learning was the best choice I could have made as an adult learner returning to school. I was able to build my own degree with my focus area. The beginning was tricky, understanding the grid, filling out forms for previous courses to transfer over, but setting up meetings with my advisor helped. The teachers are passionate about their field and I enjoyed almost all of my courses! The loop campus is convenient to get to. There are lots of fast restaurants to grab dinner before class and of course multiple Starbucks to choose from! Overall, great school, great location, great learning experience!

I’m a current international graduate student in computer science at DePaul.
I don’t usually post reviews but after reading some of the negative reviews for DePaul, I thought it was my duty to refute them.
One of the reviewers said it’s a diploma mill in-​the-​making because she didn’t have a job. So if she can’t find a job, it’s the university’s fault?
I am specializing in computer security and my degree program is recognized as one of the top in the nation by The Department of Homeland Security.
Another reviewer said our career center is unhelpful. I have to disagree with them very strongly. I actually applied for a position at the career center and I saw how stringent their recruitment process was. I spoke at length with the staff there and what they did and it was truly impressive.
Again, it’s not the university’s fault if you are unable to get a job. The university does NOT owe you a job. What it owes you is the opportunity to learn.
There are multiple job fairs every summer and spring where hundreds of employers flock to meet students. DePaul regularly sends out emails about so many different activities in Chicago.
Some of the classes get filled really fast and I have had to take those classes online even though I live in Chicago and it’s in fact no different than on-​campus classes.
In fact, even when I attend class on campus, I watch the online videos when I have to look at code we write in class etc.
Sure, there are some bad professors but which university doesn’t? If you are a smart student you will always look up professors ratings on private websites and take a class.
Here are a list of amazing things about DePaul
1) The campus. It’s breathtaking; smack in the middle of downtown and my building overlooks Michigan Ave and Lake Shore Dr. We own the loop! Lincoln Park is beautiful, too.
2) A really great fitness center in Lincoln Park that is very affordable.
3) Brand new equipment in the labs; beautiful interiors at my College of Computing and Design.
4) Many good professors. There are some really bad ones but that’s the student’s job to look up professor ratings before taking a class. I have always found enough classes to take that are taught by professors with decent ratings.
5) At least for grad students, ALL your classes are available online for viewing at any time.
6) Very efficient homework, assignments, quiz submissions. Everything is submitted online.
When I accidentally copied a regex code (We weren’t supposed to search for regex online which I didn’t know) my professor didn’t accept my assignment. I was glad that they actually catch students for not doing their work correctly.
7) Very Very professional and businesslike customer support. I have never put down the phone without my questions getting answered. They have very large well-​staffed departments with an army of students supporting the backend and customer service requirements.
Give them a call! You’ll find out yourself.
I have visited many universities in the US, in the North East, in Cali, in Texas and finally decided on DePaul even though I had got into half a dozen other universities.
I went to one of the top law schools in my home country before attending DePaul and I have to say it’s a great school.

DePaul is an academic institution that operates like a business in many ways. Great school if you are looking to transition into living in Chicago. If you are a prospective, you will need a sense of independence, optimism and an open mind towards a diverse community for a successful transition.

One of the top universities for business and computer science, few know it is ranked at the top for veteran friendly schools.

DePaul University
Growing up– we went to different DePaul Blue Demon basketball games and listened to how my mom went to DePaul on a full ride scholarship. My mom went to school here at the same time that tv actor Joe Mantegia went to and was in some of the same classes.
Dorms are super cool and totally feel safe visiting. The neighborhood a few blocks down is less safe but on campus is different and there is a sense of security and safety.
When I visited a few times as a high school junior, I wore my St Vincent DePaul class ring that has a blue sapphire stone. Different students that went to school there asked me if I was a junior at DePaul cause of my class ring– I was like ‘yes I look old but I won’t say anything cause it makes me look cooler at least to these students’ but I just looked and continued to say nothing.
Being downtown and close to the action is great in Chicago– going to school at DePaul can really have its benefits. The school has a great sports reputation and many of the students do go on to great things.
Fyi– I did not go to school here. I have had different workshops as a teacher here, institutes for religious learning, and conferences for youth groups here.

I just started my Master’s Program in Human Computer Interaction at DePaul University, one of the few universities that offer entire online Master Programs. I have done research on different colleges for this related major, and DePaul has the curriculum that best fit what I needed to learn as well as what I was interested in.
Let me start off with their online program. I live in California and have a full time engineering job, so I decided to do an online program instead of wasting time getting stuck in traffic driving to class after work.
They have the best setup for online students: quizzes, labs, forums, video lecture, interactive white boards, and screens for the presentation slides. It is very flexible for busy professional, and with this online system, you can either split your lecture into however many times you want to watch, rewind if you missed something, forward to skip the breaks in class, etc. I actually enjoy this much much better than sitting in a 3.5 hour class every week, because frankly, I would probably just stop paying attention after 1.5 hours lol.
Students are actually more engaged in an online forum, in my opinion. To me, when you’re in class, you are just trying to jot down all the information that the professor is presenting, and not too much time to ask and discuss questions among students. An online forum, however, we discuss between students and professor until questions are clearly answered and explained. It is pretty much a continuous brainstorming platform. I really like it.
Whoever created this online system (I heard students initiated this), I really appreciate the implementation. It helps me a lot.
For the administrative staff, academic and financial advisors, on the other hand, are all trash. Like most people have mentioned, they are pretty much useless. When I call them to ask more in-​depth questions, they just read whatever I already read on the DePaul website. This is such a shame. I find that most administrative staff everywhere are the same… they don’t care and don’t know anything. It is very sad.
I instead try to obtain information from professors and other students who went through similar experience.
Anyway, so far, I’m happy with the choice I made to attend DePaul. It is pretty expensive, but for any graduate programs, DePaul isn’t too bad.

A joke. Signed up for a summer course to start Monday, and got a «cancelled» due to low enrollment message today. Thanks, for the last minute notice, easy to make other plans for a class somewhere else NEXT WEEK?
A pathetic response from the professor, not my fault, not my job, get a refund from the business office, again, not my job.

Full disclosure: I am a Chicagoan, born and raised.
I am a current student and expecting to graduate this year. I have enjoyed my past year and half at this school (transferred from a community college, glad I did it because I saved a lot of money). I have met soo many great people that I have become closer to. The negative= MONEY. This school is not cheap and I recommend students to apply for scholarships and financial aid as soon as they leave high school.
Other than that, the ambiance is wonderful, the students (hipsters) are chill (yet lame) and the student center is the place to be to enjoy some good food and good company.
So for all the high schoolers out there, I recommend looking into DePaul if you don’t want to be far from home. It won’t let you down.
Happy searching!

Still trying to figure this school out. I just started a few weeks ago as a graduate student and I’ve never been to an urban university before, so it’s definitely been a change. I think just because I started mid year, it’s been kind of complicated trying to get the hang of everything and get settled in. So far I enjoy my classes and professors and have only heard good things about the program I’m in. I think I’ll enjoy my time here.

I was a commuter from the far north side. So access to the red line or lsd or the edens-​kennedy made the commute not too bad. There’s a bunch of free parking areas around the local streets if you don’t mind walking a bit.
One thing I learned from college is professors are some of the best contacts to have in your networks. They are so knowledeable and experienced, and will be a guiding light leading you to success. I’m not saying go and brown nose. I’m saying work hard, show your interest and dedication to these professors and they can help you– ie letter of rec, inform you about conferences to attend, introduce you to other people in your field or like minded students, give you the greatest advice etc… Depaul University was awesome for this. The student community was so open and diverse. Theres something for everyone.
Great education, great people, and great location. Sure its expensive, but if you use your time and resources wisely you will be the one cashing out. I love Depaul and go back to the library and to walk around in summer time.

Think twice about attending this school. This is especially true if, like me, you’re Catholic. Despite it being labeled as a Catholic school, its not. It’s the farthest thing from Catholic.
That being said, some parts of the school are not all bad. It’s just not a place to be if you want free speech, non-​judgemental students, help from anyone other than professors, or any of the like.
Also beware that they allow you to walk in graduation as early as you want. Even of you are not done with your degree. As a result you will have people from the «class of 2011» still in your classes in 2013. It makes the university look like a joke. LIke another reviewer said, its a degree mill in the making.
But, as in all things do your research and find what works best for you.
Oh and I graduated with high honors, and am still looking for a job. Several times I was told a Depaul degree was «useless» since they dropped the testing requirements to get in. Great, all the money I spent and the testing I took to get in was for nothing!

CLOSED IN
When I attended DePaul University our tuition got raised every year and it was because DePaul was buying buildings left and right and expanding the theater school, library and dorms. I understand expansion but I hated knowing I was paying for most of this and I was not going to get to enjoy any of it.
One of the buildings that was purchased during my education stay was the Old Goldblatts Building downtown. DePaul was looking for a business school in the heart of downtown Chicago. They did a great job with the rehab and by adding businesses on the street level. I also loved how they created a mini quad area in the front of the building as a place for students to hang out and smoke. I am being sarcastic about the smoking part because I really hate walking through a wall of unbreathable air. I think that the quad area is 15 feet from the door, so maybe they should go elsewhere to huff and puff.
When the new building opened I decided to take one of my business classes downtown. That was a huge mistake because I really did not like the class room. It was not a fun environment to learn in. The room was all closed off from natural light and I felt like I was in a sardine can. In fact, I hated it so much I cancelled the class and found one available at the Lincoln Park Campus. I just could not do it. First, I was taking a boring business class and in that environment it made me want to sleep.
My university years are behind me now but the building is still here. Recently I attended a conference which included panels in the DePaul classrooms. And I had terrible flashbacks to my first class in this building. It was dark with no natural light and it was hard to focus on the speaker. I really just did not feel like this is a great space to learn in.
I understand that this is downtown and giant class rooms are not going to be designed with open windows. I hope that there are some rooms that are like that but I am not sure because every time I come here I am usually in a dark room.
The Business School is perfect for students wanting to enter the business world. It is one of the greatest cities in the world and the school puts you right in the middle of it. I also do not agree with the highest bidder gets to put his name on the school. Recently a Chicago Businessman, who has more money then he knows what to do with, made a huge donation. Because of that donation, DePaul put his name on the building. Let’s not forget the poor students who had to incur the yearly tuition hike for all those years, in order for DePaul to buy and rehab this building. Maybe all of us should have our name on here for funding this place. Do I sound bitter or realistic? I would lean towards realistic!
This is not my favorite building and recently I was reminded why by visiting here. DePaul was very lucky to grab such a great building in downtown to add to there presence in the city. This makes them a powerhouse when it comes to a good university in the city of Chicago.

I really enjoyed my time at DePaul. I graduated with a BS in Information Systems. The professors were always available and willing to help me with work. I loved all the networking events as well. I went for a degree in IS because I enjoy working with computers but most importantly I wanted to find work. In Chicago, DePaul has a decent reputation, so it was easy enough to find great jobs at great companies.
I went to school mainly at night and I just went to classes, I didn’t really do any of the «typical» college student stuff like attending sporting events or parties. My main concern was getting a degree and a landing a job. It’s been 3 years since I graduated and I don’t regret it at all.
The school is expensive but the school is also in prime locations of the city. If you work full-​time in the loop area then it is easy to get to the Lincoln Park campus and the Downtown campus. There are a lot of amenities and the campus is well maintained. The technology is constantly upgraded as well.

This place isn’t for everyone. There is a clear indication of that through the reviews.
But let me share my story, and allow you to see why some of us love being at DePaul.
As someone who’s had the «transfer experience,» I will say that any school you go to will have its problems. Every school has administration problems at its core. Stop complaining about it because every school has them. Some schools are better than dealing with it than others, but as long as you adopt the policy of hounding down the admin yourself and following through with everything– you will have an easier time than the majority of people complaining about it. The weird thing about DePaul is that they have an academic advisor… and then a faculty advisor. Be friendly to both, but realize that you’re still going to have to do a lot of the grunt work yourself. Still, they are there for your disposal. Use them. I’m not going to talk about transferring and the core classes because I got all of those done before I got here, and my previous school had the worst core (worse than DePaul’s, which is saying something) and I am mainly taking major/​minor classes now. So, I don’t really have experience with that. Transferring was also easy for me because I came from a four-​year college, so it wasn’t a big deal for me.
As a transfer student, it is really hard to get to know people– but get to know people and it’ll come easier. Besides, once you’re my age… you focus mainly on your work and priorities, rather than making friends. The structure of things is a little different around here because DePaul has such a strong graduate program, so it was a little different for me. I’m a Psychology major and the amount of diverse Psychology options they have astounds me. They have 2 BS options (Standard and Neurocognitive) and 4 or 5 BA options. Um… wow. I’m just impressed by the amount of diversity and acceptance within the school and its majors. The only time I remembered that this was a Catholic school in the past two quarters I’ve been here was when people gathered in ALH’s lobby to see who the new pope was. The quarter system is challenging and rigorously-​paced, but it involves less classea and more focus and learning. As someone with a learning disability, the quarter system helps me focus more, and I wish all schools were on the quarter system. So much easier to learn through blocks! And the classes are smaller! And the professors give a shit! And there are so many opportunities to get involved if you seek them, especially in your major!
I will say that because the school is in the city– it’s a large commuter campus. But the beauty of it is that there are two campuses, and both of them feel like they’re in the city. I chose DePaul over Loyola when transferring because DePaul felt like you were in a neighborhood in a city, but still within the city. The other campus felt too far from everything else. I love how involved DePaul is within the community, and it shows. It’s also one of those places where you don’t realize how huge the campus and the school is until you see the numbers. It feels like a very small school, but it’s huge. It doesn’t even feel mid-​sized (which was what my last school was.) It feels like a small school with big-​school resources. For some reason, I love this.
The best way I can describe DePaul is that it is a mess of contradictions. But so am I. So, I guess that’s why I love the school so much. I could go on and on, but I’ll probably update this review once I graduate, but I’m sure it’ll be the same thing. I love DePaul. It’s not for everyone, but it is a very ME school, and I’m happy about that.

I visited here for an insurance ethics class that I needed for my license renewal. I don’t head into Chicago by myself ever. This was highly unusual. But, I punched the address into my iPhone map and luckily this was an easy find.
Plenty of parking at noon on a Tuesday left me very pleased. A friendly information desk representative sent me in the right direction. This is a very clean building. The bathrooms were meticulously kept up. Although I wish there were garbage cans for my paper towel after I wash my hands and have to open the door.
We were on the third floor in Room 301. It was a nice temperature for the whole length of the class. There were vending machines for bottled water, soda and snacks on that same floor.
What wasn’t so nice was the receptionist when I walked in at 12:30. Multiple people asked where the washrooms, vending machines, room 301, etc were located. She sighed and acted completely exasperated every time someone some to her. She was quite rude.
Regardless, this was a fairly good spot for a half day class.

Deciding to transfer to DePaul 3 years ago was probably one of the best life choices I have made. I did not know one person in Chicago and had only been here once before, but something about DePaul attracted me to them. For starters, my old school in Boston was a small, urban campus with about 5 buildings, while DePaul was a college campus located in an urban city.
Before going to DePaul, I was never required to take so many Liberal Arts classes (I am an Accounting major), but DePaul puts emphasis on religion and history in their core education classes. My first Liberal Arts class was African American history. I have never had such an eye opening experience into this side of history which is rarely taught in the schools in Massachusetts (besides in the month of February). Quickly, I became fascinated and decided to take all my electives in African American studies. This past winter, I had the opportunity to travel to Ghana in West Africa for a business and technology class and a religion, history, and spirituality class. I would have never been able to do something like this at my old school.
DePaul is extremely accepting and open to a range of groups of people. There is a huge LBGT community, various cultural clubs, sororities and fraternities, and tons of other clubs to get yourself involved in. Being a Catholic school, you would think that it wouldn’t be so diverse. Not only do they not push Catholicism on you, but they accept you for who you are and allow you to embrace your culture as well as learn about others.
In terms of my major, I have never been pushed to the limit of wanting to quit college before I got to DePaul. DePaul offers challenging and demanding classes, while preparing you for the real world. The core Accounting classes at Suffolk were no match for the classes at DePaul. The first year of transferring in, I spent playing catch-​up just to get to the level that DePaul students were at. On my trip, I was able to discuss with two Ghanaian accountants the differences between our standards and theirs (which follow the international standards). I think at this moment, I really understood and grasped how much I have learned at DePaul.
DePaul has helped me obtain two internships and one full-​time offer at great companies. The career office truly will help you get to where you want to be post-​graduation. My senior year has not been filled with the stress and worry of not having something secured after college because of the resources and alumni base DePaul has. They also offer free classes to prepare Accounting majors for the CPA exam. Each Accounting class uses CPA questions on midterms and finals which is a great way to get our feet in the water.
Yes, it is expensive, but I would have no problem paying more than the current tuition just to relive this experience. The learning process was mind-​blowing and as I look back on the past three years, I truly am in shock at how far I was pushed in order to maximize my learning. Small class sizes and caring professors add to the experience. By being able to have a comfortable relationship with professors, your learning increases. Most professors have no problem helping you out and even sitting down for you for 30 – 60 minutes just to talk. I have built so many strong relationships at DePaul and would not change anything about these past 3 years.