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Purdue University-Main Campus

Public

West Lafayette, IN

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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

Admit rate50%
SAT range1200–1480
ACT range27–34
Undergrads44,503
Yield (admits who enroll)26%
Next deadlineNov 1, 2026 (EA)

Cost & outcomes

Cost of attendance$24,591
4-year grad rate83%
Median earnings, 10yr out$72,424

From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field.

Where do you stand against Purdue University-Main Campus's numbers?

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How 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?

Academic factors
Rigor of secondary school recordVery important
Class rankConsidered
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresVery important
Application essayImportant
RecommendationsImportant
Nonacademic factors
InterviewNot considered
Extracurricular activitiesImportant
Talent/abilityConsidered
Character/personal qualitiesImportant
First generationImportant
Alumni relation (legacy)Not considered
Geographical residenceConsidered
State residencyConsidered
Religious affiliationNot considered
Volunteer workConsidered
Work experienceConsidered
Level of interest (demonstrated interest)Considered
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See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what Purdue University-Main Campus weighs in your application

Paying it back

Undergrads taking federal loans22%
Loan balance still growing, 3yrs out78%

"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

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
Food Science and Technology$75,060/yr
Agricultural Mechanization$73,393/yr
Agricultural Production Operations$71,868/yr
Agricultural Business and Management$65,900/yr
Animal Sciences$54,089/yr
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians$45,935/yr
Architecture and Related Services
Landscape Architecture$67,113/yr
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$67,639/yr
Biology, General$58,225/yr
Botany/Plant Biology$57,530/yr
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$93,976/yr
Accounting and Related Services$90,119/yr
Finance and Financial Management Services$85,924/yr
Marketing$84,725/yr
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations$82,441/yr
Business Administration, Management and Operations$81,040/yr
Hospitality Administration/Management$58,861/yr
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Communication and Media Studies$65,517/yr
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Computer Science$146,685/yr
Computer and Information Sciences, General$99,896/yr
Computer Software and Media Applications$59,766/yr
Education
Special Education and Teaching$55,308/yr
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$54,559/yr
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$48,502/yr
Engineering
Computer Engineering$121,462/yr
Materials Engineering$107,557/yr
Industrial Engineering$107,031/yr
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$105,396/yr
Chemical Engineering$104,514/yr
Mechanical Engineering$102,572/yr
Construction Engineering$101,108/yr
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$97,332/yr
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$93,434/yr
Civil Engineering$90,873/yr
Engineering, Other$87,331/yr
Agricultural Engineering$86,306/yr
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering$78,770/yr
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians$97,594/yr
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians$88,474/yr
Engineering-Related Fields$87,914/yr
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians$86,891/yr
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians$85,224/yr
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other$63,954/yr
English Language and Literature/Letters
English Language and Literature, General$52,053/yr
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies$49,918/yr
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services$69,246/yr
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$49,649/yr
Health Professions and Related Programs
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$82,581/yr
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$80,403/yr
Public Health$66,892/yr
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$59,649/yr
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$59,050/yr
History
History$53,708/yr
Mathematics and Statistics
Statistics$104,047/yr
Mathematics$58,453/yr
Natural Resources and Conservation
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$69,768/yr
Forestry$56,754/yr
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management$40,053/yr
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$72,724/yr
Physical Sciences
Chemistry$67,680/yr
Physics$67,505/yr
Psychology
Research and Experimental Psychology$52,170/yr
Social Sciences
Economics$83,195/yr
Political Science and Government$71,601/yr
Anthropology$55,624/yr
Sociology$55,072/yr
Transportation and Materials Moving
Air Transportation$86,161/yr
Visual and Performing Arts
Design and Applied Arts$58,917/yr
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$52,105/yr

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

On-campus housingYes
Required to live on campusNo
Dormitory capacity16,056
Typical room charge$4,860
Typical board charge$5,398

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

GPANot considered
Class rankConsidered, not required
RecommendationsConsidered, not required

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.

When is the application deadline for Purdue University-Main Campus?

Purdue University-Main Campus's earliest deadline is Nov 1, 2026 (EA), 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.

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