Purdue University

Purdue University Overview

Purdue University is a public, state school in the suburban setting of West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue was founded in 1869 and the school enrolls around 49,639 students per year, including 37,101 undergraduates. Purdue ensures on-campus housing for up to 15,208 students. Most students live in off campus housing.

There are many ways for students to get involved at Purdue!

Interested in music or performing? At Purdue you can join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of the school's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Purdue students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Interested in Greek life? Purdue has both fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Purdue has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Purdue on the Student Life page.

Is Purdue a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how competitive an institution is.

Let's take a closer look at these factors to get a better idea of what Purdue offers and if it could be the right college for you.

Purdue Acceptance Rate 2022

Purdue is moderately difficult to get into. Around 69% of applicants get into Purdue each year. Last year, 59,173 students applied to Purdue and 40,759 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Purdue

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Purdue, around 92% come back their sophomore year. Purdue's six-year graduation rate for undergrads is 83%. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outlook Purdue Graduates

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Within six months of graduating, 69% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Recent Purdue grads have an average starting salary of $62,452 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.

Purdue's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

Purdue's endowment was valued at $3.6 billion in 2022, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, Purdue spends about $25,201,427 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Purdue

Tuition cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

Purdue meets 75.1% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $12,396 a year.

Students in the class of 2022 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $30,221 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Purdue.

Based on this information, how does Purdue sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Purdue a good school for you?

If Purdue University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

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Where is Purdue?

Purdue is located in the suburban setting of West Lafayette, Indiana, in the suburbs of Indianapolis.

If you would like to see Purdue for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 65 to West Lafayette, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Indianapolis International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Purdue and West Lafayette are like without leaving home.

Considering Going to School in Indiana?

See a full list of colleges in Indiana and save your favorites to your college list.