DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in America, has grown yet again. For the 10th consecutive year, DePaul's enrollment figures set a new university record for total number of students enrolled. Total university enrollment for fall 2003 is 23,610, an increase of 383 students over last year's total.

DePaul enrolled a freshman class of 2,261 students, slightly larger than the freshman class from last year. DePaul maintained its selectivity as a record number of 9,464 freshman applications were received by the university, a six percent increase over last year. An all-time high of 14,585 total undergraduate students are enrolled at DePaul this fall.

David Kalsbeek, vice president for enrollment management at DePaul, said the gains, which include a significant increase in out-of-state students in the freshman class, reflect the growing reputation and prominence of the university's undergraduate programs.

"Our growing enrollment is a measure of DePaul's broadening appeal among an increasing diversity of college-bound students," he said. "The word is out about the tremendous overall academic experience at DePaul, amidst the backdrop of the world-class city of Chicago."

DePaul is currently the largest Catholic university in the United States and one of the ten largest private universities in the nation. Updated 2003 enrollment rankings for the largest private and Catholic universities are expected in mid-November.

This year’s freshman class again reflects DePaul's longstanding commitment to diversity, with minority students representing approximately one-third of the class. More than 14 percent of the class (325 students) is Hispanic/Latino students, approximately nine percent of the class (201 students) is Asian/Pacific Islander students and approximately nine percent of the class (197 students) is African American students. The class is nearly 60 percent female. Freshmen hail from 44 different states, and 74 percent of the class is from the state of Illinois.

A total of 7,873 graduate students are registered for the fall 2003 term, a slight increase over last year's figures. The largest enrollment gains among graduate programs were in the School of Education, which saw an increase of nearly 24 percent, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which achieved growth of nearly 14 percent. DePaul's College of Law, which features a nationally-ranked Health Law program, enrolled 1,152 students this fall, an increase of ten percent. DePaul's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, which includes a Top 10 ranked MBA program, enrolled more than 2,250 students this fall. Overall, DePaul has the largest enrollment of master's level graduate students in the state of Illinois.

DePaul has also seen rapid growth in its technologically advanced distance learning programs. The number of credit hours being taken via distance learning increased by 28 percent over last year.

"As we introduce a wider variety of courses online, DePaul's distance learning offerings have proven to be an attractive alternative for adult students," Kalsbeek said.

Four undergraduate programs also saw enrollment increases, including the School of Education with an increase of nine percent, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with an eight percent increase.

In addition to its Lincoln Park and Loop campuses in Chicago, DePaul has campuses in Lake Forest, Des Plaines, Rolling Meadows, Naperville and Oak Forest.