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Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana · Public, a small city · 44,503 undergraduates

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Is it hard to get into Purdue?

The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.

Acceptance rate
49.9%
73,083 applied
SAT, middle half
1200 to 1480
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
27 to 34
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Required
Applicants who could not take a test in exceptional cases may still apply.
What they look at
  • Class rankConsidered
  • Courses takenRequired
  • College-prep programConsidered
  • RecommendationsConsidered
  • EssayRequired
  • PortfolioConsidered

How much does Purdue cost?

Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.

Tuition and fees, Indiana residents
$9,992
Tuition and fees, out of state
$28,794
A full year, sticker price
$25,610
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$14,851
Students who got federal aid

What a year cost, by family income

Family incomeAverage paid after grants
Under $30,000$6,147
$30,001 to $48,000$5,618
$48,001 to $75,000$9,056
$75,001 to $110,000$15,253
Over $110,000$23,490
Room and board on campus
$13,720 a year
Books and supplies
$1,090 a year
The school's own grants
35% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $8,075

Tuition over the years

Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.

$0K$9K$17K$26K$34K201220142016201820202022Out of stateIndiana residents

How much do Purdue students borrow?

Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.

Typical debt at graduation
$18,750
About $213 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
23.1%
Get a Pell Grant
15.7%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
2.7%

What do Purdue graduates earn?

Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.

Six years after starting
$68,067
Ten years after starting
$80,082
Middle half: $51,817 to $114,284
Best-paid program, five years out
$148,856
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$37,521
Fine and Studio Arts

Do Purdue students finish?

Of the students who started full time, first time.

Back for second year
92.7%
Graduate in six years
84%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
79% graduated
12% transferred, 0% still enrolled

Who goes to Purdue?

Women
41%
First in their family at college
18.5%
Part-time
5.9%
Students per teacher
14
Background
White 54%, Hispanic 8%, Black 3%, Asian 15%, Two or more 5%, International 10%
Housing
Campus housing, 16,270 beds

What do Purdue graduates earn, by program?

Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.

Computer science

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Computer and Information Sciences, General249$74,383$112,243$19,500
Computer Science1,092$98,322$148,856$16,750
Computer Software and Media Applications330$49,195$61,095$19,500
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management265HiddenHidden$19,500

Engineering

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering637$81,997$101,189$20,500
Agricultural Engineering135$71,807$89,360$22,153
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians293$76,065$102,625$18,282
Biomedical/Medical Engineering264$76,119$98,814$18,458
Chemical Engineering284$86,660$111,198$19,500
Civil Engineering335$76,175$95,867$19,500
Computer Engineering689$93,048$132,337$19,494
Construction Engineering55$78,801$114,742$12,000
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering385$87,713$110,403$23,250
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians152$79,634$94,176$20,553
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General13HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering-Related Fields102$78,642$113,674Hidden
Engineering, Other71$78,647$83,597$25,000
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering121$73,304$84,809$18,750
Industrial Engineering526$84,842$112,451$19,000
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians229$70,751$81,874$19,553
Materials Engineering118$79,562$94,592$16,974
Mechanical Engineering988$82,015$104,232$16,124
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians517$71,325$90,793$19,437
Nuclear Engineering56$77,236$101,996$25,495

Business and commerce

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Accounting and Related Services272$69,425$95,174$19,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations313$58,348$86,461$19,500
Finance and Financial Management Services500$67,193$91,563$18,432
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations187$66,112$94,243$19,043
Hospitality Administration/Management177$49,730$68,251$15,875
Human Resources Management and Services0$50,535HiddenHidden
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods329$74,323$103,954$18,250
Marketing266$60,635$88,161$15,030

Nursing

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing343$78,769$80,898$16,389

Health sciences and kinesiology

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions33$64,814$75,421Hidden
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services200$38,204$62,039$19,500
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services89$54,566$63,248$22,499
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other22Hidden$78,612Hidden
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General17Hidden$51,928Hidden
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration119$51,592$74,959$16,250
Public Health107$44,867$67,508$18,505
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness2$35,949$65,416Hidden

Life sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Agricultural Business and Management255$61,552$75,725$12,200
Agricultural Mechanization45$63,519$82,219Hidden
Agricultural Production Operations54$62,437$70,471Hidden
Agricultural Public Services30$53,543HiddenHidden
Agriculture, General29HiddenHiddenHidden
Animal Sciences278$43,099$61,452$19,250
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services10HiddenHiddenHidden
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology115$45,481$86,807$18,669
Biology, General566$35,791$70,679$18,716
Botany/Plant Biology27Hidden$57,436Hidden
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences27HiddenHiddenHidden
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology27HiddenHiddenHidden
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management107$33,684$44,739$17,750
Food Science and Technology59$69,120$76,898$12,000
Forestry29$43,795$57,227Hidden
Genetics75$39,174$54,007$16,237
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology13HiddenHiddenHidden
Natural Resources Conservation and Research77$51,198$54,448$19,500
Neurobiology and Neurosciences97HiddenHidden$13,000
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences234HiddenHidden$16,551
Plant Sciences33$43,856HiddenHidden
Soil Sciences4HiddenHiddenHidden
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians49$42,584$48,967$17,495
Zoology/Animal Biology25HiddenHiddenHidden

Math and physical sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Applied Mathematics33HiddenHiddenHidden
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology22HiddenHiddenHidden
Chemistry154$53,943$71,983$17,000
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences77$46,930Hidden$13,979
Mathematics143$50,650$66,049$13,000
Physics92$44,202$58,059$17,500
Statistics421$79,554$100,650$18,000

Social sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Anthropology52Hidden$50,125$14,875
Area Studies18HiddenHiddenHidden
Communication and Media Studies243$51,071$71,630$16,750
Economics257$62,321$87,836$17,826
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies24HiddenHiddenHidden
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services49$47,829$69,348$18,499
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General8HiddenHiddenHidden
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services129$38,456$50,424$17,311
Political Science and Government249$42,339$79,008$16,250
Research and Experimental Psychology693$35,116$54,540$18,562
Sociology306$42,555$61,669$17,718

Arts and humanities

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics14HiddenHiddenHidden
English Language and Literature, General99$44,165$52,520$13,000
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics4HiddenHiddenHidden
History93$39,354$54,497$19,500
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services22HiddenHiddenHidden
Philosophy50HiddenHiddenHidden
Religion/Religious Studies5HiddenHiddenHidden
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies101$35,359$50,017$16,604
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics79Hidden$65,444$20,727
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics3HiddenHiddenHidden

Education (teaching)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Education, General34HiddenHidden$18,098
Special Education and Teaching28$49,288HiddenHidden
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods200$47,539$47,890$17,318
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas111$48,705$58,115$18,528

Fine and performing arts

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Design and Applied Arts124$51,456$67,124$22,500
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft29Hidden$49,195Hidden
Film/Video and Photographic Arts57$41,207$47,873$18,499
Fine and Studio Arts42$34,754$37,521$23,849
Music6HiddenHiddenHidden

Architecture and design

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Landscape Architecture35$66,461HiddenHidden

General arts and science (major chosen later)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biological and Physical Sciences40HiddenHiddenHidden
Classical and Ancient Studies14HiddenHiddenHidden
Data Analytics0HiddenHiddenHidden
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities14Hidden$75,713Hidden
Mathematics and Computer Science15HiddenHiddenHidden
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other32HiddenHiddenHidden
Nutrition Sciences21HiddenHiddenHidden
Systems Science and Theory1HiddenHiddenHidden

Other programs

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Air Transportation313$56,314$94,585$18,500

Compare Purdue with other universities

Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.

Or the list of every university, by state.

Where these numbers come from

College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.

How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.

Careerhelp is not affiliated with Purdue University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.

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