DePaul announced its annual tuition raises for the 2023-24 school year on May 22. This communication came later than years past, being announced on April 1, last year, according to past reporting. It is the second consecutive year DePaul has raised tuition rates since the freeze in the 2021-22 school year due to Covid-19. This time, tuition went up 3.1% for undergrads outside the theater and music schools, and 1.9% for students in the music and theater schools. 

In total, increases ranged from 1.9% to 3.1% based on the college, according to student accounts. The lowest increase came in The Theatre School (TTS) and the School of Music (SOM), with an increase of 1.9% – or $804 – since the 2022-23 school year. Since TTS and SOM have a differential tuition based on a student’s year in school, these numbers were compiled from average tuition rates in both colleges and are not representative of every student’s current rates .

In all other colleges, the undergraduate increase was 3.1%, with costs jumping from $42,189 to $43,508, a $1,319 increase — since last school year. In years past, TTS & SOM have had higher tuition rates than other colleges at DePaul, however this year was different. The tuition costs in the other colleges is $258 more than TTS and SOM. 

For graduate students, the average increase of tuition per credit hour is $17, or about a 1.8% increase. The college with the highest increase was the Kellstadt Business School with a $22 increase for the next academic year. 

While tuition rates continue to increase annually at DePaul, students at other higher education institutions in the Chicagoland area are facing much higher increases.

Loyola University Chicago increased tuition for undergraduate students by 4.5% and 4.3% for graduate and professional studies, according to Loyola Newsroom. In addition, Columbia College Chicago recently announced a tuition increase of 5%, according to Columbia Central.