DePauw University, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Greencastle, Ind., U.S., 40 miles (64 km) west of Indianapolis. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Strictly an undergraduate university, DePauw offers a curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences as well as preprofessional programs. The university’s International Center provides students with study-abroad opportunities in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Latin America. Campus facilities include the Eugene S. Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media and the Robert C. McDermond Center for Management and Entrepreneurship. Total enrollment is approximately 2,300.
The university was founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury University. Women were first admitted in 1867. The name was changed in 1884 to honour Washington C. DePauw, an important benefactor of the university. In that year the school of music, one of the oldest in the United States, was opened, and the McKim Observatory was built. Notable alumni include former U.S. vice president Dan Quayle, writer Barbara Kingsolver, educator William Wirt, and historian Charles A. Beard.