In Chicago, graduating from college doesn’t mean leaving the campus behind. The colleges and universities here are prestigious and plentiful, providing a large community of academic peers, and opportunities for research and continuing education.
According to the Chicago Loop Alliance, more than 65,000 students attend 24 institutions in the Loop alone, collectively making downtown Chicago the largest “college 
town” in Illinois, and one of the largest in the country. In 2008, more than 30,000 students were enrolled in business, management, marketing, or related programs in the city of Chicago, and nearly 10,000 received degrees in these topics last May, according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
“It is not surprising that DePaul and the other universities in Chicago’s business district are attracting students,” according to Ray Whittington, dean of the College of Commerce and the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University. “Increasingly, students understand the value of being educated in a vibrant business center. Through part-time work and internships, our students graduate with significant business experience, allowing them to add immediate value to their employers.”
In response to growing demand at downtown campuses, a number of schools have recently expanded; Robert Morris College, DePaul University, and Roosevelt University recently committed to a collective 875,000 square feet of new space for their facilities.
