DePaul University College of Law
Chicago, Illinois · Private · ABA-approved since 1925 · Data updated November 2, 2026
DePaul University College of Law is a private law school in Chicago, Illinois, approved by the American Bar Association since 1925. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 158, higher than 45% of ABA-approved schools, saw 83.8% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 81.3% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, DePaul University received 2,643 completed applications and made 920 offers, an acceptance rate of 34.8%. 186 students enrolled in the first-year class (157 full-time, 29 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 154 | 158 | 160 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.17 | 3.61 | 3.80 |
A quarter of the class scored 154 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 160 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 158, is in the stronger half of this class; one below the 25th percentile is a long shot unless something else in the file stands out.
1 of the entering students were admitted on a GRE score instead of the LSAT.
Where would your numbers fall in this class?
Enter an LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. We compare them with the class that entered in fall 2025. This shows where your numbers sit, not your chances: admissions offices read the whole file.
Tuition, living costs and scholarships
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $55,628 a year. That is more than 60% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $29,110 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $55,328 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $300 |
| Tuition, part-time, resident | $35,946 |
| Living costs, on campus | $29,110 |
| Living costs, off campus | $29,110 |
| Living costs, at home | $29,110 |
In 2024-25, 100% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $34,950, and the middle half of awards ran from $20,000 to $35,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $20,678 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 38% |
| Half to full tuition | 59% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 1% |
Scholarships that can be cut. The school reports that it does not award scholarships that are reduced or ended because of grades, other than for failing to stay in good academic standing.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $254,214. With the median scholarship every year, about $149,364. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 148 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 124 passed: 83.8%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 81%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (+2.8 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 141 | 117 | 83% | 81.1% |
| 5 other jurisdictions | 7 | 7 | 100% | 78.3% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 143 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 124 had passed one within two years: 86.7%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 155 2025 graduates, 126 (81.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 8 more (5.2%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 7 (4.5%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 155 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 17 (11%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Illinois (132), followed by California (2) and Indiana (1).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 11 first-year students left DePaul University: 9 for academic reasons (5%) and 2 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 2 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
DePaul University offered 135 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 80% had fewer than 25 students and 2% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 162 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 124 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 163 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 305 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 10 |
The school reports 34 full-time faculty and 104 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 510 J.D. students, that is about 15 students per full-time faculty member.
How DePaul University compares in Illinois
Illinois has 9 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, DePaul University ranks 6th in median LSAT, 5th in first-time bar passage, 4th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 6th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | 174 | $84,906 | 96.7% | 96.8% |
| Northwestern University | 173 | $80,633 | 91.8% | 92% |
| University of Illinois | 166 | $39,904 | 93.2% | 92.2% |
| Chicago-Kent College of Law | 161 | $54,080 | 79.7% | 75.4% |
| Loyola University Chicago | 161 | $59,666 | 85.7% | 79.7% |
| DePaul University | 158 | $55,628 | 83.8% | 81.3% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | 153 | $42,080 | 68.8% | 71.2% |
| Northern Illinois University | 150 | $24,067 | 61.9% | 70.1% |
| Southern Illinois University | 149 | $22,088 | 74.2% | 73% |
More on each, and on the Illinois bar exam: law schools in Illinois.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to DePaul University's, so an applicant who fits here is likely to be a similar fit there. Compare what each costs and how its graduates fare.
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DePaul University | 158 | 3.61 | $55,628 | 83.8% | 81.3% |
| Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | 158 | 3.60 | $66,940 | 84.8% | 71.2% |
| University of Hawaii Honolulu, HI | 158 | 3.62 | $24,076 | 77.1% | 75.5% |
| Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO | 157 | 3.61 | $56,190 | 89.1% | 87.6% |
| Seattle University Seattle, WA | 159 | 3.60 | $62,558 | 79.5% | 75.5% |
| University of Dayton Dayton, OH | 157 | 3.60 | $41,914 | 87.5% | 73.9% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into DePaul University College of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 158, with the middle half scoring 154 to 160. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.61. The school accepted 34.8% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at DePaul University College of Law?
83.8% of DePaul University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 81%. Within two years of graduating, 86.7% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does DePaul University College of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $55,628 a year. Most students pay less: 100% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $34,950.
Do DePaul University College of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 81.3% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 5.2% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 4.5% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is DePaul University College of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. DePaul University College of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1925, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.