DePaul University Requirements for Admission

What are DePaul University's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

  • GPA requirements
  • Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
  • Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into DePaul University and build a strong application.

School location: Chicago, IL

This school is also known as: DPU


Admissions Rate: 73.5%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at DePaul University is 73.5%. For every 100 applicants, 74 are admitted.

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This means the school is lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you're almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don't meet DePaul University's requirements, you'll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.


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DePaul University GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.8

The average GPA at DePaul University is 3.8.

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(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.8, DePaul University requires you to be near the top of your class, and well above average. Your transcript should show mostly A's. Ideally, you will also have taken several AP or IB classes to show that you can handle academics at a college level.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.8, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.


SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

DePaul University hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to DePaul University will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

DePaul University SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1189

The average SAT score composite at DePaul University is a 1189 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes DePaul University Competitive for SAT test scores.

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DePaul University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1070, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1290. In other words, a 1070 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1290 will move you up to above average.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SectionAverage25th Percentile75th Percentile
Math584530640
Reading + Writing604540660
Composite118910701290

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

DePaul University has the Score Choice policy of "Contact School."

This means that the school wants you to contact them to learn more about their Score Choice policies. Keep reading - we may have extra notes about this from our own expert research.


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DePaul University ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, DePaul University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 27

The average ACT score at DePaul University is 27. This score makes DePaul University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

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The 25th percentile ACT score is 24, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 30.

Even though DePaul University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 24 or below, you'll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 24 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to DePaul University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 24.


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SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

DePaul University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require or recommend it.



Final Admissions Verdict

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Because this school is lightly selective, you have a great shot at getting in, as long as you don't fall well below average. Aim for a 1070 SAT or a 24 ACT or higher, and you'll almost certainly get an offer of admission. As long as you meet the rest of the application requirements below, you'll be a shoo-in.

But if you score below our recommended target score, you may be one of the very few unlucky people to get rejected.


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Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at DePaul University?
Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test: SAT ACT

SAT Score
Your GPA

Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
  • 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
  • 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
  • 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
  • 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
  • 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

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Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of DePaul University here.

Application Requirements Overview

  • Common Application Accepted, supplemental forms required
  • Electronic Application Available
  • Essay or Personal Statement Recommended for all freshmen
  • Letters of Recommendation 1
  • Interview Required for some
  • Application Fee No fee required for domestic applicants
  • Fee Waiver Available? None
  • Other Notes Audition/interviews required for School of Music and Theatre School applicants. Animation majors must submit portfolio and creative statement.

Testing Requirements

  • SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
  • Scores Due in Office February 1

Coursework Requirements

  • Subject Required Years
  • English 4
  • Math 3
  • Science 3
  • Foreign Language
  • Social Studies
  • History
  • Electives

Deadlines and Early Admissions

  •  
    • Offered? Deadline Notification
  • Regular Admission
    • Yes February 1 March 15
  • Early Action
    • Yes November 15 December 15
  • Early Decision
    • No

Admissions Office Information


Other Schools For You

If you're interested in DePaul University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to DePaul University.


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Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than DePaul University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 1310 29
University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX 1291 28
University of California, Davis Davis, CA 1280 28
University of Oregon Eugene, OR 1253 27
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 1245 25
Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX 1242 28
Temple University Philadelphia, PA 1241 28

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Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for DePaul University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Howard University Washington, DC 1204 25
San Jose State University San Jose, CA 1190 25
Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 1184 25
Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 1178 26
Ball State University Muncie, IN 1177 26
Ohio University Athens, OH 1174 25
Pace University New York, NY 1173 26

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Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for DePaul University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If DePaul University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
California State University Long Beach Long Beach, CA 1145 23
Washington State University Pullman, WA 1130 23
University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX 1120 22
East Carolina University Greenville, NC 1120 22
Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL 1110 23
University of North Texas Denton, TX 1110 23
Texas State University San Marcos, TX 1080 23

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.


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Want to build the best possible college application?

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.


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