Let's walk through it carefully. Not so that you memorize figures from a federal report, but so that you reach the end understanding what kind of place it is, what questions you need to ask, and what your child will need to build through their own effort.
A Town, a Small College, and a Lot of Life on Campus
DePauw University is in Greencastle, Indiana, in Putnam County. The area surrounding the campus is a small-town setting, far from major cities. That is neither a flaw nor an advantage: it is a coordinate. If your family does not live nearby, you will need to determine separately where your child would live, how they would get there, and what a free weekend without a car would be like.
The system that classifies this country's colleges and universities—Carnegie—places it among four-year, small, highly residential baccalaureate colleges focused on the arts and sciences. “Highly residential” has a precise definition: at least half of undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. In other words, it is a school designed for students to live there, not to commute by car from home.
And here is the first practical truth: the cost of living on campus is almost never included with tuition in the main brochure. Ask for it separately, including the meal plan, before comparing this school with any other.
It is a private, nonprofit institution, and the highest degree level it reports offering is the bachelor's degree. That is an institutional fact, not a guarantee that the specific major your child wants is offered there. Verify the exact program before falling in love with the school's name.
One point is worth clarifying right away: DePauw has none of three special designations that exist in this system—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which students it serves today or how your child would feel on that campus. You find that out by looking at which organizations and cultural centers exist right now and by talking with someone who already attends.
A Small Community, With Few Latino Students and No Surprises in Scale
In the fall of 2023, DePauw reported enrollment of 1,819, all undergraduate students, with no graduate enrollment. It is a mid-sized institution among similar schools: neither one of the largest nor one of the smallest in its own comparison group.
Among those students, the Hispanic or Latino share was 8 out of every 100. It is a small minority, and compared with the 941 selective, private, four-year schools in this census that reported the figure, DePauw falls below the group's midpoint. That does not make the school bad or good—it tells you who is enrolled, and nothing more. If your child will be among the few, the question you need to ask is specific: which student groups exist, what support is available, and whether you can speak with a Latino student who is already there before deciding.
The undergraduate population is nearly evenly divided between men and women: the share who are women is 49 out of every 100. And one detail that is sometimes overlooked: the percentage of students from age 25 through age 64 rounds to zero. If your family situation includes someone returning to school later in life, this campus does not appear to be organized around that reality.
One fact the school simply did not report: where incoming students came from. It is not available, and it is not estimated.
How the Academic Year Is Organized
DePauw reported a 4-1-4 calendar: four courses over four months, one month with a single intensive course, and another four courses over the following four months. It is a different rhythm from the traditional two-term semester system, and it is worth understanding before your child builds a mental schedule of the year.
For incoming credit, the school accepts credit for AP exams and military training, but did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. Accepting AP does not tell you how many points are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program, if that is something your child is already pursuing in high school.
As for what can be studied: in the reported year, DePauw awarded 345 bachelor's degrees across 20 fields of study. No field accounts for a large share—the largest was social sciences, with only 17 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. It is a broad offering without a single dominant major. But 20 fields with activity do not mean 20 majors in the catalog: each field groups several programs, and some rows may report zero. Verify the exact program that interests your child.
The ratio of students to instructional staff, measured in full-time equivalents, is 10 to 1. Compared with similar schools, it falls below the midpoint: it is a low ratio. But this is an institution-wide aggregate, not the actual size of a first-year class. Do not confuse the two.
The institution also reports specific structured opportunities: study abroad, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and the option to complete preparation there in certain teacher-specialization areas. If your child is interested in any of these paths, they are genuine starting points for asking further questions.
Getting In: What They Require and Who Succeeds
Let's start with the essential point: DePauw does not have open admission. It reviews several components before saying yes, and five of them are required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for anyone who needs one.
Put plainly: assembling paperwork is not enough at this university. The essay is required. Your child has to write.
It also considers—without requiring—class rank, whether the applicant completed the college-preparatory curriculum the university requests, work experience, and whether a family member attended. On that last point: if it does not apply to you, do not spend energy thinking about it. Spend that energy on what is within your control. One piece of practical good news: the published undergraduate application fee is $0.
Now, the numbers on who gets in and who stays.
In 2023, DePauw received 7,197 first-time applications and offered admission to 3,891 applicants. The admitted share was 54 out of every 100 applicants. Compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census, DePauw falls on the low side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, accepted a higher percentage of their applicants. Admission is neither a sure thing nor a lottery. The application is genuinely reviewed.
But here is the number that truly changes the conversation: out of every 100 admitted applicants, only 13 ultimately enrolled. Put another way, out of every 8 young people who received a yes from DePauw, about one ended up attending. The rest had a place there and did not take it. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. It does tell you something important: what others decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your own letter with your net price. With that number in hand, you can decide whether this school stays on your list.
On testing: the SAT and ACT are not required at DePauw. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains fully in consideration. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—a share equal to 52 out of every 100 enrolled students, which is high compared with similar schools—the middle half scored between 570 and 680 in reading and writing and between 570 and 750 in math. That 570 is not a minimum for admission, and that 680 is not a guarantee of anything either. They are scores from students who were already admitted, not a known cutoff.
On transfers: in the fall of 2023, the incoming transfer-student count was 13. It is a low count compared with similar schools and is consistent with the school's small size. The rate of students who leave DePauw for another institution is not reported in this file. That does not establish that nobody transfers; it only means that this specific figure was not included.
The Sticker Price: High and All-Inclusive
At DePauw University, among a group of 28 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,267. Among a group of 31 students from that same population whose EFC family income was from $48,001 through $75,000, it was $17,459; among a group of 83 students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, it was $33,816. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, whose student count was 28, and the average for the highest-income band, whose student count was 83, is $21,549. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $30,507.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, DePauw falls in the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that carries weight when you build the list of schools to which you will apply.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying yours correctly is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter you receive is what matters.
Financial Aid: Almost Everyone Receives Something, but Few Receive Pell
At DePauw, the share of degree-seeking students who received a grant, scholarship, or other aid that does not have to be repaid was 99 out of every 100. Receiving something is the norm here, not the exception. The average among recipients was $41,490 for the year.
But within that broadly distributed aid, the Pell Grant—federal aid reserved for low-income families—reached only 16 out of every 100 students. In other words, at least 83 out of every 100 received aid that came from somewhere else: the university itself, the state, or another source. Receiving aid is not the same as receiving Pell, and the report does not separate the source of each grant or scholarship. Ask directly who provides that aid, who qualifies, and what is required to renew it each year. A high average among aid recipients does not predict the size of your own offer.
On loans: the share of undergraduates who received a federal loan in 2022-23 was 40 out of every 100, and the average received by borrowers that year was $5,817. Compared with similar schools, DePauw falls on the low side in the proportion of students with loans. This average covers a single year and only federal loans in the student's name—it does not include what parents borrow separately, bank debt, or total debt accumulated by graduation. This percentage does not determine which of the two groups—with a loan or without one—your child will fall into. The financial aid letter they receive determines that.
As a payment option, the institution reports offering an installment tuition plan.
Living There: Campus, Sports, and What Is Not Checked
DePauw does have institution-controlled housing, with reported capacity for 1,286 students. Not every first-time student is required to live there—but that does not tell you whether your child specifically will have that option or obligation under their program. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals varying by the plan selected. Ask in writing for this year's price, the housing application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or your child would be placed on a waiting list.
On ROTC: DePauw did not indicate any ROTC opportunity in its report, either in the general field or for any specific branch. Among the four-year schools in this guide, 926 out of 1,786 did indicate one. DePauw was not among them. The fact that it is not indicated does not prove that no nearby option exists—it only means that one was not reported in this field. If it matters to your family, ask admissions directly before ruling it out.
In sports, DePauw does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, not the NAIA or other associations. It reports membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not say which division each sport competes in or whether athletic scholarships are awarded. If sports are part of the plan, write directly to the coach and ask for the answer in writing.
On distance education: the school does offer undergraduate courses in this format, but in the fall count, the share of students taking their entire course load remotely was zero out of every 100. All students took at least one in-person class. And in its official report, DePauw indicated that it does not offer a complete program that can be finished entirely through distance education. If that matters to your family, confirm it in writing with the specific major in mind.
The library operates with employed staff, has physical and digital collections, and participates in interlibrary lending. Its annual spending exceeded the threshold tracked by the government. What the data do not tell you is the exact schedule or whether someone is available to guide your child in finding materials—that must be asked directly.
As for general support, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, and a published website address for services for people with disabilities.
Those Who Stay and Those Who Finish
This is where DePauw shows numbers worth examining carefully, because they are among the strongest in this entire profile.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022—a group of 535 first-time, full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students—89 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed their degree one year later. Compared with 930 similar schools, DePauw falls near the top: it retained a higher proportion than most of its peers. This number combines two distinct groups—those still enrolled and those who had already graduated—without separating them, and it does not reveal what happened to the rest.
Of the cohort that began bachelor's degree programs in 2017, 80 out of every 100 had earned the degree six years later. By the four-year mark, the figure had already reached 73 out of every 100—only 7 points below the six-year result, suggesting that those who progress well at DePauw tend to finish within the expected time. Compared with 920 similar schools, DePauw falls in the top quarter: three out of four schools in that group, or more, reported an equal or lower proportion of graduates.
A high number like this is not a promise for your child specifically. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control, and theirs, is making sure they enter with their credits in order and know from the first semester who their advisor is and when registration opens for courses in their major.
One final figure, with a longer time horizon: when tracking a cohort that entered between July of 2015 and June of 2016, as of August of 2023—eight years later—83 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from DePauw. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 79 out of every 100, only 5 points below the rest. Compared with similar schools, DePauw again falls in the top quarter. This cohort dates back a decade; it does not determine whether your child will graduate there or how long it will take. But it is worth asking about the program's current support and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
What You Know Now and What Is Still Yours to Decide
DePauw University is a small school in a town, with a small community of Latino students, selective on paper but with low enrollment after admission—which suggests that many admitted students choose another institution. It is expensive at the outset, with a sticker price among the highest in its comparison group, but with a net price that may become much more manageable if your family's income circumstances fall on the right side of the table. It retains and graduates a high proportion of those who enter within the expected time.
None of this tells you whether it is the right school for your child. That depends on three things this article cannot know: what they want to study and what they have already built in high school, what your family can and is willing to pay once you have the financial aid letter in hand, and how far away—literally and emotionally—you are willing to let them move.
You now understand one part of the map in depth. Put it together with those other two, and from there a plan emerges that truly belongs to your family.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by DePauw University to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily from the 2023 cycle and the 2023-24 academic year, with some figures from earlier years where indicated. Best College Aid does not represent DePauw University or the U.S. government; this article organizes public information to help families understand it.