DePaul University named an ‘Opportunity College and University’ by the Carnegie Classifications

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CHICAGO — DePaul University has been designated an “Opportunity College and University” by the Carnegie Classifications, recognizing the university as an institution that can serve as a model for studying how campuses can foster student success. DePaul is one of just three colleges and universities in Chicago and 13 in Illinois to receive the “Opportunity Colleges and Universities” designation.

The “Opportunity Colleges and Universities” designation is part of a newly developed “Student Access and Earnings Classification” published this month by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education. This new classification examines the extent to which institutions foster opportunities for student success by measuring whether institutions are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve and how the earnings of those students compare to peers in their area.

"DePaul’s Catholic, Vincentian mission calls us to make education accessible to all," said DePaul President Robert L. Manuel. "Being recognized by the Carnegie Classifications affirms our steadfast commitment to expanding access to education and empowering every student to reach their full potential. This honor is a testament to the extraordinary work of our faculty, staff, and students – and to DePaul’s unwavering dedication to creating pathways for opportunity and lifelong success.”

Driving DePaul’s position in this new classification are 37.6% of DePaul’s degree-seeking undergraduate students self-identifying as being from an underrepresented minority, and 31% receiving a Pell Grant, which is awarded to students who display exceptional financial need.

In 2025, 479 institutions have been identified as “Opportunity Colleges and Universities,” which is about 16% of all U.S. colleges and universities that are in the Student Access and Earnings Classification.

The methodology for the new Student Access and Earnings Classification uses multidimensional groupings of the 2025 Institutional Classification to evaluate student access and earnings between similar colleges and universities.

More information about 2025 Student Earnings and Access Classifications, including the methodology, can be found here​.

DePaul University provides exceptional academics and real-world experiences to prepare students for a changing world. With more than 21,000 students across more than 300 academic programs, DePaul has two campus locations in Chicago. Students richly benefit from the city’s many opportunities. In turn, DePaul is one of the forces that shapes Chicago’s future. The university was founded in 1898 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), a Roman Catholic religious community dedicated to following the ideals of St. Vincent de Paul. DePaul is among the nation’s top universities for diversity because of its long tradition of providing a high-quality education to students from a broad range of backgrounds. DePaul is one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the Midwest and one of the largest Catholic universities in the nation. Visit https://www.depaul.edu/ to learn more.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education. The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed the classification in 1973 to support its program of research and policy analysis, and it was updated in 1976, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2025 to reflect changes among colleges and universities. It will next be updated in 2028, with subsequent updates every three years.

The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education.

ACE unites and leads higher education institutions toward a shared vision for the future. With more than 1,600 member colleges, universities, and associations, ACE designs solutions for today’s challenges and advances public policy to support a diverse and dynamic higher education sector. Learn more at www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on X (formerly Twitter) @ACEducation and LinkedIn american-council-on-education​.

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Russell Dorn (DePaul)

312-362-7128

Jon Riskind (ACE)

202-697-0741

Kito Cetrulo (Carnegie Foundation)

650-566-5100​