[12] Followers of 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul, they founded the university to serve children of Catholic immigrants.

In that year, James Quigley, Archbishop of Chicago, announced plans to create a preparatory seminary, now Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, for the archdiocese and allow the Jesuit Saint Ignatius College, now Loyola University Chicago to move its collegiate programs to the north side, threatening St. Vincent College's survival.

In response, the Vincentians re-chartered in 1907 as DePaul University, expressly offering all of its courses of study to men and women of any religious background.

[13] In 1954, DePaul adopted its current armorial seal with coat of arms and motto: "Viam sapientiae monstrabo tibi" ("I will show you the way of wisdom", Proverbs, IV, 11).

The building, still used today, was the hub of the Loop campus until 1993 when the DePaul Center opened at 1 East Jackson Boulevard (at State Street).

In 1969, while in ongoing negotiations with DePaul administrators, members of the group occupied a campus building for two days and led several related rallies.

Following renovations in the 1980s and the expansion of academic programs to promote research and social engagement, the university launched a six-year strategic plan in 1989.

The plan included raising the national profile, expanding enrollment from 13,500 to 18,500, and completing an extensive building campaign at the Loop and Lincoln Park campuses.

DePaul entered into a merger with Barat College in 2001, from which it withdrew in 2005 after continued low enrollment and rising maintenance costs made the campus nonviable.

It sold the grounds of the 147-year-old college to a condominium developer Barat Woods LLC, who pledged to maintain the historic Old Main building, yet demolished the Thabor Wing with its Italianate-style Sacred Heart Chapel.

In 2012, a group of trustees and administrators of DePaul University was asked by the Archdiocese of Chicago and the priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Resurrection to assist Gordon Tech High School.

[20] Two days previous, Weissenberger had reported to the American Bar Association (ABA) that DePaul's administration had failed to redistribute law school tuition income appropriately, in violation of express agreements between the college and university.

University administrators said they objected to the poster because it was provocative toward the Black Lives Matter movement but that they were open to the group posting other pro-life flyers at DePaul.

[26] In May 2024, the university fired adjunct professor Anne d’Aquino on the basis of an optional assignment on the human biology impacts of Palestinian genocide in the context of the Rafah offensive.

The university later told Inside Higher Ed that the termination was related to an email d'Aquino sent students that was shared widely over social media.

Representatives from the American Association of University Professors and Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression have suggested that the termination may violate academic freedom.

Located on 36 acres (14.57 ha) in Chicago's historic Lincoln Park neighborhood, this campus offers a traditional university environment.

In the fall of 2011, DePaul opened the four-story Arts & Letters Hall, which earned a Gold LEED-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Lincoln Park campus also contains the remnants of the former McCormick Theological Seminary; these buildings (those remaining) are located east of the elevated tracks.

The McCormick Row Houses along the south side of Fullerton Avenue east of the elevated station, though now privately owned, were originally constructed for the Seminary.

Also, until its destruction in 2006, the gothic architecture Hayes-Healy Athletic Center adjacent to the Fullerton 'L' station (similar in design to the still-present Cortelyou Commons next to Wish Field at Cacciatore Stadium) was also part of the Seminary campus.

The gymnasium was demolished as part of the renovation/expansion of the Fullerton 'L' stop to accommodate higher ridership levels on the Brown Line, despite being on the National Register of Historic Places.

DePaul's part-time MBA program at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business has been ranked in the top-10 nationally 14 times by U.S. News & World Report.

The graduate School of Public Service (SPS), located in the Loop Campus, educates nonprofit and government professionals, includes an interdisciplinary faculty, and offers a number of international programs.

School of Continuing and Professional Studies, created in 1972, was one of the first university-wide efforts in the United States to serve adult students through a separate college.

The Houston-based American Productivity and Quality Center has touted the School of Continuing and Professional Studies for its individualized education of adult students.

[46] All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, modeled their ALBA program for adult learners after the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

In 2006, the school's array of theatrical productions, playwrighting festivals, guest-lecture series, and scholarship availability are featured in the book Creative Colleges,[72] written by Elaina Loveland.

Courses and certificates in 20 different topic areas are available, including Financial Planning, Human Resources and Training, Management, Marketing, Communications, and Paralegal Studies.

Doug Bruno has been the team's head coach for 39 seasons as of 2025 and is ranked #24 in terms of wins in NCAA womens basketball history.