10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$46,468at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · 82 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 81 · Federal debt reported for 44
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$46,468 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
11.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−15%Estimated return after 10 years
$70,714Observed earnings · year 5
$19,285Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $11,617 per year to reach it.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $19,095 housing and food allowance plus $2,829 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$77,140
$10,000Annual price+$37,140
$20,000Annual price−$2,860
$30,000Current college-wide context−$42,860
$31,000Current college-wide context−$46,860
$40,000Annual price−$82,860
$50,000Annual price−$122,860
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
18 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Illinois run 0% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$30,902Average net price / year
$63,052Cost of attendance
$23,168Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$246/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$70,714Median earnings · year 5 after completion
67.8%Completion rate
75.9%Admission rate
1,262Average SAT score
14,090Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about DePaul University
What does DePaul University cost?
DePaul University reports an average annual net price of $30,902 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do DePaul University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $70,714 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do DePaul University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $23,168. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at DePaul University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 82 field-and-degree records for DePaul University; 81 report year-4 earnings and 44 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
24,279Students enrolled at any point
15,665Undergraduate students
8,614Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
63% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
2,970 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
60% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$65,097Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$69,926Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$72,399Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income51%
Middle income62%
Higher income74%
Undergraduate student composition
White44%
Black8%
Hispanic25%
Asian13%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$109,801Year 1
$135,951Year 5
$175,207Year 10
Applied Mathematics.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 27
$91,685Year 1
$119,554Year 5
$164,985Year 10
Computer Programming.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$101,900Year 1
$125,646Year 5
$153,894Year 10
Law.Doctoral, professional practice · Broad federal field 22
$69,713Year 1
$100,928Year 5
$137,562Year 10
Clinical Psychology.Doctoral, research/scholarship · Broad federal field 42
$70,012Year 1
$105,799Year 5
$134,767Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 51
$79,999Year 1
$99,890Year 5
$128,031Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$60,248Year 1
$87,389Year 5
$120,263Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$54,327Year 1
$83,819Year 5
$118,140Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$47,990Year 1
$73,466Year 4
$70,714Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Doctoral Degree$187,3642Computer Software and Media Applications · Master's Degree$158,6673Computer Programming · Master's Degree$158,5094Real Estate · Master's Degree$152,6945Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$144,8596Computer Engineering · Master's Degree$134,4497Taxation · Master's Degree$129,5658Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Master's Degree$124,777Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Computer Software and Media ApplicationsBachelor's Degree · $96,616 reported+64%vs same-degree national median$23,249federal debt2Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree · $86,444 reported+63%vs same-degree national median$42,350federal debt3Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $144,859 reported+40%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingDoctoral Degree · $187,364 reported+36%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementBachelor's Degree · $113,645 reported+34%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt6MarketingMaster's Degree · $105,355 reported+33%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in IL
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Chicago, IL
Loyola University Chicago
- Annual net price
- $36,079
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $70,419
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -22%
Illinois Wesleyan University
- Annual net price
- $28,199
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $66,515
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -27%
Bradley University
- Annual net price
- $22,719
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $67,615
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -17%
Lake Forest College
- Annual net price
- $28,673
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $61,366
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -44%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 82 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $187,364 | Not available | 31 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Master's Degree | $158,667 | Not available | 0 |
| Computer Programming | Master's Degree | $158,509 | Not available | Not reported |
| Real Estate | Master's Degree | $152,694 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $144,859 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Master's Degree | $134,449 | Not available | Not reported |
| Taxation | Master's Degree | $129,565 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Master's Degree | $124,777 | Not available | 0 |
| Information Science/Studies | Master's Degree | $121,391 | Not available | 0 |
| Human Computer Interaction | Master's Degree | $118,027 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Master's Degree | $117,154 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $116,242 | Not available | 11 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $113,645 | $27,000 | 18 |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $107,264 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Master's Degree | $105,355 | Not available | Not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | Master's Degree | $101,965 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Programming | Bachelor's Degree | $101,315 | $25,497 | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $100,185 | $22,433 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $100,161 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $99,840 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Bachelor's Degree | $96,616 | $23,249 | 0 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $94,197 | $24,016 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $93,719 | $23,000 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $93,592 | $24,500 | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $93,563 | $21,666 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $91,098 | Not available | 18 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Bachelor's Degree | $91,007 | $24,750 | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $89,908 | $26,154 | 0 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $86,444 | $42,350 | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $86,093 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $84,568 | Not available | 0 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $84,554 | $24,321 | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Master's Degree | $83,583 | Not available | 0 |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $82,551 | $25,916 | Not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | Master's Degree | $81,457 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $78,164 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $77,204 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $76,420 | $24,500 | Not reported |
| Geography and Cartography | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $76,354 | $23,412 | 9 |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Master's Degree | $75,891 | Not available | 0 |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every DePaul University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.