Happy Student Body and Campus Setting Also Ranked in Annual National Survey

The annual Princeton Review national college ratings are out, and DePaul University is ranked in the nation’s top 20 in four key categories this year.

The rankings are part of a survey of more than 110,000 students at 357 top colleges and universities, and the findings are published in "The Best 357 Colleges," the Princeton Review organization’s annual guidebook. Students were questioned about 59 different topics, including academics, campus life and the student population at their university.

For the second year in a row, DePaul was honored in the "Diverse Student Population" category. DePaul ranked ninth in the nation, up from 18th place last year. DePaul was the only university in the Midwest ranked in this category.

"It's very gratifying to see that our students appreciate DePaul's commitment to diversity on campus," said Jon Boeckenstedt, associate vice president for enrollment services at DePaul. "Being ranked in the nation's top 10 in this category is a solid affirmation of our university mission."

DePaul's urban location also ranked in the nation's top 10 for the second year running. The university was ranked seventh in the "Great College Town" category.

DePaul was ranked in the nation's top 15 in the "Happiest Students" category for the fourth time in the past six years, coming in 12th in the survey. The university garnered the No. 1 ranking in the category in 1999 and 2003.

Finally, one year after being honored by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce for its contributions to the local community, DePaul entered the survey's national top 20 for positive campus-community relations. The university placed 19th in the "Town-Gown Relations Are Good" category.

DePaul is the largest private university in Chicago and the largest Catholic university in the nation. A richly diverse population of 23,610 students attends classes on two city and five suburban campuses.

DePaul was founded in 1898 by the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers (the Congregation of the Mission), a Roman Catholic religious community that continues the mission and values of Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French saint known as the "Apostle of Charity."