Quad

Cost & aid

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $31,668 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $7.4K more than the national median. The 99% who received grants paid $31,411 on average; the other 1% paid the full sticker price of $74,320.

−19% after inflation since 2013–14Over time
Full price
$74,320 a year
tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid
Little need-based aid above $110K
aid thins out for families above that income
Merit aid
64% · avg $38K
of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Cost by family income

Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).

Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.

$0$20K$40K$60K$0$100K$200K$300K$400K+Full price $74KLittle need-based aid above $110KMerit: $36K
  • Published federal figures
  • With an average merit award: $36K · proxy: 64% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
Price per year by family income
Family incomePrice per year
$0–30K$12K a year
$30–48K$14K a year
$48–75K$13K a year
$75–110K$22K a year
$150KPublished data end at $110K
$200KPublished data end at $110K
$250KPublished data end at $110K
$300KPublished data end at $110K
$350KPublished data end at $110K
$400K and abovePublished data end at $110K
$150K a year

At $150K: Published data end at $110K

Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.

Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.

What can change this

  • Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
Average total cost per year, all first-years (est.)

$31,668

Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24

Full price$74,320
− Grants, averaged over every first-year−$42,652

99% got grants averaging $42,909; 1% got none.

= Average total cost$31,668
Tuition & fees$57.1KRoom & board$14.9KBooks & supplies$1.2KOther expenses$1.2K

Who pays what

Received grants · 99%$31,411 averagenet price after grants
No grants · 1%$74,320full sticker price

Share of first-year students, 2023–24.

Compared to all colleges$31,668
National median: $24,284Above typical

Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.

Next year (2023–24), reported by DePauw University

$71,920 before aid

Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · unchanged from 2023–24.

Show the full next-year estimate
  • Tuition, fees, food & housing$71,920
  • Books and supplies$900
  • Transportation$650
  • Other expenses$650
  • Total for a student living on campus$74,120
Median debt at graduation

$27K

≈ $286/month for 10 years

Payback estimate

1.8 yrs

of median salary to cover 4 years of net price

Undergrads with a federal loan32%
National median: 45%Below typical

About 1 in 3 undergrads borrows federally.

Median federal debt, by background

Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.

Pell Grant recipients$25,000
No Pell Grant$24,021
Family income under $30K$24,000
$30K–$75K$24,750
Over $75K$25,000

Three years into repayment

Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.

  • Paid in full19–20%
  • Paying it down33–34%
  • Payments paused20–22%
  • Not paying it down21–22%
  • Behind or in default0–4%
  • Forgiven or discharged0–2%

Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.

Who actually gets aid

57%of full price

Aid generosity

Very generous

Grants cover 57% of the $74,320 full price on average across all first-years (very generous), more than at 90% of colleges. The sticker price overstates what most students here actually pay.

$42,652 in grants per first-year ÷ $74,320 full price.

Compared to every college57%
57%
← Limitedmore generous than 90% of 1,514Very generous →

Who gets grants and scholarships

Full-time first-year students (500), 2023–24

Received grants or scholarships, avg $42,909 No grants

Where the aid comes from

From the college99% · avg $41.7K
Pell Grants17% · avg $5K
State or local grants3%
Student loans30% · avg $8K

Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.

Aid by family income

The whole first-year class (500)

  • Federal aid + grants176avg grant $52.1K
  • Grants, no federal aid321avg grant $37.9K
  • No grants3pay full price

Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.

By family income: only students who received federal aid (176 of 500), because income is only reported for them.

IncomeStudentsAvg grant
$0–30K20$62.5K
$30–48K16$60.4K
$48–75K35$61.3K
$75–110K29$52.5K
$110K+76$43.1K

Applying for aid

For fall 2023 entrants.

To apply for aid: the FAFSA.
Need is calculated with the federal formula.

Priority date: December 15 · Deadline: February 1 · Aid offers: on a rolling basis from February 1 · Reply by: May 1

Dates for fall 2023 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.

What the college's own scholarships consider

Academics✓not marked
Alumni connection✓not marked
Leadership✓not marked
Music or drama✓not marked

A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;DePauw University Common Data Set 2022–23, 2023–24;DePauw University Common Data Set 2021–22, 2020–21;DePauw University Common Data Set 2022–23, Fall 2023 entrants;DePauw University Common Data Set 2022–23, 2022–23;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)