DePaul University College of Law is a private law school located in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1912 and is the largest law school in the city. The school offers a rigorous and comprehensive legal education with an emphasis on experiential learning, social justice, and professional practice. Students have the opportunity to participate in clinics, externships, mock trials, moot courts and other activities that provide hands-on experience. The faculty consists of some of the most renowned legal scholars in the nation who are dedicated to providing students with a top-notch education. DePaul Law also has many student organizations that promote diversity and inclusion throughout the school. Additionally, DePaul Law boasts one of the best bar passage rates among all law schools in Illinois and is ranked among the top 100 law schools nationally by U.S News & World Report.
This page focuses on national rankings, acceptance rates, program costs, and merit-based scholarships of DePaul University College of Law, an accredited law program in the United States. Should you be interested in official name and common abbreviation of DePaul University College of Law, please follow this link: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/dpu_depaul-university.html
Established: 1912 (formed by merger with the Illinois College of Law, 1897)
School type: Private Roman Catholic
Dean: Jennifer Rosato Perea
Location: Chicago, Illinois, US
Enrollment: 2020 JD enrollment; 579 (full-time; 95 part-time)
Faculty: 147 (38 full-time; 109 part-time)
USNWR ranking: 105th (2023)
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Ranking: DePaul University
DePaul University College of Law is ranked among the top law schools in the country. According to the U.S. News & World Report, DePaul ranks #62 out of 194 law schools in the nation. This ranking places it in the top 32 percent of all law schools in the United States. DePaul also ranks highly for its specialty programs, with its legal writing program ranking #2 nationally and its trial advocacy program at #17. Additionally, DePaul has been recognized as one of the most diverse law schools in the nation by both U.S. News & World Report and The National Jurist Magazine, which ranked it #25 and #13 respectively for diversity among ABA-accredited law schools.
In terms of student success, DePaul graduates have consistently achieved above-average bar passage rates on their first attempt when compared to other Illinois law schools. In fact, their first-time bar passage rate was 87% for July 2020—higher than both Northwestern University (83%) and University of Chicago (80%). Furthermore, DePaul graduates have consistently had higher employment rates than their peers from other Illinois institutions; according to U.S. News & World Report data from 2019, 88% of DePaul’s Class of 2018 had jobs within nine months of graduation—compared to 81% at Northwestern and 80% at Chicago-Kent College of Law (Illinois Institute of Technology).
| Top Law Schools of 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Score | 43 |
| Peer assessment score (5.0 highest) | 2.4 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (5.0 highest) | 2.8 |
| 25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students | 2.99-3.58 |
| 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students | 156-161 |
| Overall acceptance rate | 36.5% |
| Student/faculty ratio | 14.2 |
| Graduates employed at graduation | 86.6% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 94.3% |
| School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 88.7% |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | IL |
| Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 88.6% |
Tuition & Scholarships: DePaul University
DePaul University College of Law offers several scholarship opportunities to qualified students. Scholarships are available to incoming students, current students and alumni. Scholarships are merit-based and awarded based on academic achievement and/or financial need. The Law School also offers two tuition remission programs: the Deans’ Tuition Remission Program and the Public Interest Scholarship Program. The Deans’ Tuition Remission Program awards full tuition remission to first-year law students who demonstrate extraordinary academic achievement and potential for success in law school. The Public Interest Scholarship Program awards partial tuition remission to second-year law students who plan to pursue careers in public interest law after graduation. Both programs are highly competitive, and recipients must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 throughout their studies at DePaul University College of Law in order to remain eligible for these scholarships.
| Financial Aid Office Information | |
|---|---|
| Financial aid application deadline | 04/01 |
| Financial aid director | Paula Luff |
| Financial aid telephone | (312) 362-8091 |
| 2019-2020 Expenses | |
| Tuition | Full-time: $35,500 per year, part-time: $23,150 per year |
| Room and board | $22,255 |
| Books | $1,400 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | N/A |
| Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? | No |
| Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? | No |
| Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? | Yes |
| Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? | Yes |
| 2019 Grants | |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | 34.5% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | 26.9% |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 14.7% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 1.1% |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of full tuition | 0.0% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of full tuition | 0.0% |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 0.1% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 2.9% |
| 25th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $8,000 |
| Median grant amount of aid per full-time recipient (50th percentile) | $14,000 |
| 75th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $18,000 |
| 25th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient | $3,000 |
| Median grant amount of aid per part-time recipient (50th percentile) | $4,000 |
| 75th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient | $4,000 |
| Indebtedness | |
| Average indebtedness of 2019 graduates who incurred law school debt | $104,459 |
| Proportion who borrowed | 90.6% |
| Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2019 J.D. graduates? | Yes |
