Small class sizes and a solid graduation rate give DePauw University, located an hour outside Indianapolis, a reputation as a top liberal arts school. Its roughly 1,800 students are active in a variety of extracurricular activities, and the university's popular Winter and May Term service trips program sends many of them to developing countries for community service.
The social sciences, especially economics, are popular majors, but students are fairly spread out among the university's 50-plus degree programs. While DePauw doesn't have a journalism degree program, the school does have a rich history of graduating future journalists. That's unsurprising given the college's history: The Society of Professional Journalists, known then as Sigma Delta Chi, was founded there in 1909, and The DePauw is the oldest college newspaper in Indiana. About 87% of students graduate within six years, a mark that puts DePauw near the top of schools with similar student populations. Students go on to earn a median salary of more than $66,600 in their first several years out of college.
DePauw is home to the first sorority in the nation, and Greek life remains an important part of the social scene. Some 62% of all students are in sororities or fraternities, and students live on campus throughout their time as undergraduates.
