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Depaul University

EIN 36-2167048 · Chicago, IL

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceReports resultsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

AS AN INNOVATIVE CATHOLIC, VINCENTIAN UNIVERSITY ANCHORED IN THE GLOBAL CITY OF CHICAGO, DEPAUL SUPPORTS THE INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF ITS STUDENTS. THE UNIVERSITY DOES SO THROUGH ITS COMMITMENT TO OUTSTANDING TEACHING, ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)

Income
$966.9 million
Spending
$943.6 million
Spent on programs
88%
Reserves
10.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 86%
Employees
8,234
Volunteers
42
Highest pay
$1.2 million, men's head basketball coach

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 81% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 10.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 21% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 5% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    88% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 25 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    40 of 42 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Reports results. Its tax return states measurable results. These are its own figures and nobody has checked them.

Results it reports

  • Fall enrollment totaled 20,637 students.Work delivered
  • Enrollment included 14,338 undergraduate students.Work delivered
  • Enrollment included 6,299 graduate and professional students.Work delivered
  • The university offered nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate programs.Work delivered
  • University housing services housed approximately 2,000 students.Work delivered

Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $353.0 million spent. STUDENT AND OTHER FINANCIAL AID - THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES EXPENDITURES FOR ALL FORMS OF INSTITUTIONAL AID AND ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 37% OF TOTAL UNIVERSITY EXPENSES, MAKING IT SECOND ONLY TO SALARIES AND BENEFITS AS THE LARGEST EXPENDITURE CATEGORY IN TERMS OF BOTH PERCENTAGE AND DOLLARS. OVER $349 MILLION OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES REPRESENTED AID, WHICH PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY'S STUDENTS DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR. IN ADDITION, THE ABOVE TOTAL ALSO INCLUDES OVER $12 MILLION IN AID TO UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND STAFF, INCLUDING THEIR SPOUSES AND DEPENDENTS, IN THE FORM OF EMPLOYEE TUITION WAIVERS, WHICH ARE PROVIDED AS PART OF A WRITTEN BENEFITS PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ALL QUALIFYING UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES.
  2. $266.7 million spent. INSTRUCTION - FALL ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2024/25 ACADEMIC YEAR TOTALED 20,637, MAKING DEPAUL THE NATION'S LARGEST CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY FOR THE TWENTIETH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. THE ABOVE TOTAL INCLUDED 14,338 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND 6,299 GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS. OF THE UNIVERSITY'S TOTAL ENROLLMENT, FOR THE 2024/25 ACADEMIC YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 53% WERE STUDENTS OF COLOR AND APPROXIMATELY 56% WERE WOMEN. THE UNIVERSITY OFFERED NEARLY 300 COMPREHENSIVE AND INNOVATIVE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS DURING THE 2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, ALONG WITH A BROAD CURRICULUM FOR ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION.
  3. $73.4 million spent. STUDENT SERVICES - THIS CATEGORY CONSISTS OF STUDENT RELATED EXPENDITURES OTHER THAN THOSE RELATED TO INSTRUCTION, INCLUDE GRADUATION AND ADVERTISING EXPENSES. EXPENSES RELATED TO OFFICES THAT SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY'S STUDENTS, SUCH AS THE UNIVERSITY'S ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT OFFICE, UNIVERSITY MINISTRY, CAREER CENTER, STUDENT AFFAIRS, FINANCIAL AID OFFICE, REGISTRAR, AND STUDENT LIFE OFFICES ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS CATEGORY.
  4. $138.8 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICESACADEMIC SUPPORT - THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES EXPENDITURES RELATED TO THE PROVISION OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE UNIVERSITY'S FACULTY AND STUDENTS, INCLUDING UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SERVICES, DEAN'S OFFICES, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. AUXILIARY SERVICES - THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES EXPENDITURES RELATED TO AREAS WHICH HELP TO ENRICH STUDENT'S OVERALL COLLEGE EXPERIENCE BEYOND ACADEMICS. EXPENDITURES INCLUDE THOSE RELATED TO UNIVERSITY HOUSING SERVICES, WHICH PROVIDED HOUSING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2,000 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR. EXPENDITURES ALSO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT CENTERS, WHICH PROVIDE A NUMBER OF STUDENT SERVICES, INCLUDING DINING SERVICES AND STUDENT LIFE PROGRAMS. EXPENDITURES RELATED TO THE UNIVERSITY'S BOOKSTORES ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS CATEGORY, ALONG WITH STUDENT RECREATION ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS THE UNIVERSITY'S RAY MEYER RECREATION CENTER. PUBLIC SERVICE - THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES EXPENDITURES RELATED TO PROGRAMS THAT IMPACT THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY'S COMMUNITY BASED SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, WHILE EARNING UNIVERSITY CREDIT. ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS CATEGORY ARE EXPENSES RELATED TO THE UNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOR URBAN EDUCATION, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND THE ART GALLERY. RESEARCH - THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES ALL EXPENSES FOR ACTIVITIES SPECIFICALLY ORGANIZED TO PRODUCE RESEARCH, WHETHER COMMISSIONED BY AN AGENCY EXTERNAL TO THE UNIVERSITY OR SEPARATELY BUDGETED BY AN ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY. THE CATEGORY INCLUDES EXPENSES FOR INDIVIDUAL AND/OR PROJECT RESEARCH AS WELL AS THAT OF INSTITUTES AND RESEARCH CENTERS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since October 1952.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.