


DePauw University is a private university in Greencastle, Indiana, founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury University. The Methodist Episcopal Church established it, and the institution took its present name in 1884 in honor of Washington C. DePauw, a benefactor.
DePauw's history helps explain its present-day emphasis on undergraduate education in the liberal arts and sciences alongside music, business, and other professional interests. Its origins remain part of its institutional history, but applicants should evaluate the university's current academic programs and policies rather than assume that its nineteenth-century affiliation defines every aspect of campus life today.
DePauw primarily offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees. Its academic organization includes the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Leadership, and the Creative School, which brings together creative disciplines and programs.
Students can explore fields such as biology, computer science, economics, English, history, psychology, political science, music, and theater. DePauw's liberal-arts structure also makes courses outside a major part of the educational experience. Prospective students interested in a specific credential - particularly teaching, engineering, or a professionally regulated field - should check the current academic catalog for the exact degree, pathway, and requirements rather than infer them from a subject's presence in the course list.
The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 10 to 1. That describes institution-wide staffing relative to enrollment; it does not mean every class has ten students or that every course is taught by a full-time professor.
DePauw's campus is in Greencastle, a small city in west-central Indiana. Students considering it should expect a residential college setting rather than a large urban campus.
Greencastle provides everyday services near the university, while larger-city amenities generally require travel. Indianapolis International Airport is the nearest major airport; students should plan separately for transportation between the airport and campus. First-year students are permitted to register or park a car on campus, though a car is not necessary for attending classes on a compact residential campus.
DePauw describes its educational purpose in terms of liberal learning, intellectual inquiry, leadership, and engagement with the wider world. These are the university's stated priorities, not measurable outcomes promised to every student.
In practice, applicants can assess that philosophy through the curriculum: requirements outside the major, opportunities to study across disciplines, and programs that connect classroom work with creative, civic, or professional experiences. DePauw was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church; students for whom religious identity matters should distinguish that history from the requirements and activities of the university as it operates today.
Name of the institution
DePauw UniversityLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Town: DistantInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999Religious affiliation
Protestant (United Methodist Church)School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
4-1-4Foundation year
1837DePauw University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.