DePaul University is a university in Chicago that was founded by the Vincentians in 1898. The university takes its name from a 17th century French priest, Saint Vincent de Paul. The largest Catholic university in the nation and the largest private institution in Chicago, DePaul currently serves approximately 24,000 students. This also places it as one of the 10 largest private universities in the United States. The university prides itself on its commitment to providing access to higher education for a diverse student body (1) .

DePaul has campuses in the Lincoln Park section of Chicago and the downtown Loop area as well as suburban campuses in Naperville, Oak Forest, O'Hare and Rolling Meadows. DePaul entered into a merger with Barat College in 2000, but plans to withdraw in 2005, leaving them with a very uncertian future.

DePaul University has one of the 10 oldest business schools in the United States. Their part-time MBA program that has consistently ranked high, garnering top 10 placements in the US News rankings for the last 9 consecutive years. Additionally, DePaul currently has MBA programs overseas in the Czech Republic and Bahrain.

DePaul's Computer Science program is the largest graduate program in computing in the United States. DePaul also contains a notable school of music, with many Chicago Symphony faculty.

On the athletic agenda, DePaul, which competes in NCAA Division I (with no football program), is currently a member of Conference USA, but is set to join the Big East Conference in fall 2005. The school mascot is the Blue Demon .