West Lafayette, IN
Purdue University was established on May 6, 1869, when the Indiana General Assembly created the institution as Indiana's land-grant university for agriculture and engineering. Its West Lafayette campus today comprises 11 colleges and schools with more than 400 research labs, and Purdue also operates a campus in Indianapolis focused on STEM-related majors.
Admissions
Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry
- Early Action: Nov 1, 2026
- Regular Decision: Jan 15, 2027
Confirm on Purdue University-Main Campus's own admissions site before you apply.
Cost & outcomes
Out-of-state students pay $18,802 more per year in tuition and fees (2.9x the in-state rate).
Tuition has been frozen for 14 years. Engineering, computer science and business students pay an extra fee.
Tuition & fees are Purdue University-Main Campus's own published 2026-27 rates (source); other figures are from the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against Purdue University-Main Campus's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow Purdue University-Main Campus weighs your application
From Purdue University-Main Campus's own Common Data Set, 2024-25, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
What applicants who posted their results listed
86 self-reported applicant profiles from public posts, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles: 62 admitted, 24 rejected or waitlisted. Figures read admitted vs. rejected or waitlisted.
Most common activities
Most common awards among admits
Who posted
How this compares at Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland: Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not Purdue University-Main Campus's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what Purdue University-Main Campus weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What does Purdue University-Main Campus look for in applicants?
Per Purdue University-Main Campus's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, standardized test scores as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.
What is Purdue University-Main Campus's acceptance rate?
Purdue University-Main Campus in West Lafayette, IN admits approximately 50% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
What SAT score do I need for Purdue University-Main Campus?
Admitted students at Purdue University-Main Campus typically score between 1200–1480 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile).
What ACT score do I need for Purdue University-Main Campus?
Admitted students at Purdue University-Main Campus typically score between 27–34 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile).
How much does Purdue University-Main Campus cost?
Purdue University-Main Campus's total cost of attendance is reported at $24,591 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
What is out-of-state tuition at Purdue University-Main Campus?
For 2026-27, Purdue University-Main Campus's tuition and required fees are $28,794 for out-of-state students and $9,992 for in-state students -- $18,802 more per year for out-of-state students. That's before financial aid, and room and board are extra.
When is the application deadline for Purdue University-Main Campus?
Purdue University-Main Campus's deadlines are Early Action Nov 1, 2026; Regular Decision Jan 15, 2027, per its own published admissions calendar.
Does Purdue University-Main Campus require students to live on campus?
No -- Purdue University-Main Campus doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
Related reading
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