DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States, enrolling more than 21,000 students across two Chicago campuses, in the Lincoln Park neighbourhood and the Loop. Founded in 1898, it offers more than 200 academic programs through 10 colleges and schools, spanning fields from the liberal arts to computing and business. Instruction is delivered largely by faculty rather than teaching assistants - 97% of classes - with a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1.
The university's teaching is organised around what it calls Layered-Learning™, a trademarked approach that combines classroom instruction, project-based learning and community-based service learning. The model is intended to prepare graduates for both careers and civic life; 92% of recent graduates report positive career outcomes. DePaul maintains partnerships with more than 250 community organisations across Chicago, which serve as placements and project partners for students.
DePaul describes its mission as rooted in Vincentian values and guided by the question "What must be done?". That tradition informs a stated emphasis on access, diversity and social justice, and on academic work tied to service. For staff and faculty, the institution presents a mix of research and teaching roles within a large urban university, with instruction and community engagement as its defining characteristics.
