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Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN · Midwest

purdue.edu ↗West Lafayette, IN 47907Local forecast ↗
Undergraduates
44,503Fall 2024
Admission rate
49.9%Fall 2024
Tuition & fees
$9,9922024–25
Graduates in 6 yrs
83.1%2024–25

General information

Type
Four or more years, Public
Campus setting
City: Small
Campus housing
Yes — capacity 16,270
Student population
52,905 total · 39,864 undergraduate
Student-to-faculty
14 to 1
Highest award offered
Doctor's degree · Four or more years

Dig into the details

Choose a topic. The list stays put, so you can move between them.

Tuition, fees and estimated expenses

The published price, before any aid.

Tuition & fees / year
$9,9922024–25Excludes housing and other living expenses.
In-state vs out-of-state
$9,992 in-state · $28,794 out-of-state2024–25
Room & board, on campus
$12,8202024–25
Books & supplies
$1,030IPEDS, academic year 2023-24

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Annual campus housing and meals

$12,820

2024–25

Ask a student: What are the housing and dining tradeoffs?

What this measures

Cost of attendance: on-campus room and board. AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Financial aid

Who gets help, and how much.

Students receiving any aid
60%IPEDS, academic year 2022-23Full-time first-time degree-seeking undergraduates only.
Average grant or scholarship
$11,126IPEDS, academic year 2022-23
Students with federal loans
22.5%2023–24
Average loan amount
$5,142IPEDS, academic year 2022-23

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Students receiving Pell Grants

13%

2023–24

Ask a student: Which resources help students manage college costs?

What this measures

Percentage of undergraduates who receive a Pell Grant. AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

Students using federal loans

22.5%

2023–24

Ask a student: How manageable is combining campus work with coursework?

What this measures

Percent of all undergraduate students receiving a federal student loan. AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

Median federal debt among graduates who borrowed

$19,500

2020–21

Ask a student: What would you ask financial aid before committing?

What this measures

Median debt of completers, suppressed for n=30. NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts.

IPEDS Student Financial Aid component. View source ↗

Net price

What families actually pay after aid.

Average net price
$14,6002023–24First-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Family income $0–30,000
$4,927IPEDS, academic year 2022-23
Family income $48,001–75,000
$8,948IPEDS, academic year 2022-23
Family income over $110,000
$21,130IPEDS, academic year 2022-23

Budget for life here

Compare campus living with an off-campus housing benchmark before planning everyday spending.

Campus room & board
$12,820

Per academic year · 2024–25

Studio rental benchmark
$900

Per month · HUD FY2026

1-bedroom rental benchmark
$1,040

Per month · HUD FY2026

2-bedroom rental benchmark
$1,250

Whole apartment / month · HUD FY2026

Rental area: Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN HUD Metro FMR Area, ZIP 47907. HUD figures are 40th-percentile gross rents, not average asking rents. Basic utilities are included; phone, television, and internet are excluded. Room and board is an annual college-reported cost, not a monthly rent.

HUD rental data ↗

A night at the movies

Check local prices

One adult standard 2D evening ticket. Premium formats and booking fees vary.

A verified local price is not yet available.

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The Big Mac benchmark

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One Big Mac sandwich at regular pickup price, before tax. Excludes meals, delivery, and offers.

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Ask a student: What do you actually spend in a typical month, and where do you save?

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The numbers start the conversation. A current student can tell you what they feel like.

Average annual cost after grants

$14,600

2023–24

Ask a student: Which costs surprised you beyond tuition?

What this measures

Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid; public institutions cover in-state students. AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Enrollment

How many people are here, and who.

Total enrollment
52,905IPEDS 2023
Undergraduate
39,864IPEDS 2023
Graduate and professional
13,041IPEDS 2023
Student-to-faculty ratio
14 to 1Fall 2024Not a class size.

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Students per faculty member

14:1

Fall 2024

Ask a student: How easy is it to get help from professors?

What this measures

Undergraduate student to instructional faculty ratio. Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

Students studying part time

5.9%

Fall 2024

Ask a student: How do students balance classes with work or other responsibilities?

What this measures

Share of undergraduate, degree-/certificate-seeking students who are part-time. Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

IPEDS institutional directory. Total, undergraduate and graduate are reported together for IPEDS 2023, so they reconcile. The undergraduate figure in the key stats above is a newer College Scorecard count for Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25. View source ↗

Admissions

How selective, and what they weigh.

Admission rate
49.9%2024–25
Applicants
73,083IPEDS 2023
SAT total, middle 50%
1190–1460IPEDS 2023Reported only for admitted students who submitted a score.
Required for admission
Admission test scores · English Proficiency Test · Personal statement or essay · Secondary school recordIPEDS 2023

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Retention and graduation rates

Who comes back, and who finishes.

Graduation rate, 6 years
83.1%2024–25First-time full-time students only; excludes transfers entirely.
Graduation rate, 4 years
64%IPEDS 2023
First-year retention, full-time
92.7%2023–24
Transfer-out rate
Not reported

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First-year return rate

92.7%

2023–24

Ask a student: What helped you settle in during your first year?

What this measures

First-time, full-time student retention rate at four-year institutions. Fall 2023 bachelor's-seeking cohort, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Outcome measures

Eight-year results for every kind of student.

Award rate, first-time full-time
84%IPEDS 2023, 2015–16 entering cohortShare of the 2015–16 entering cohort holding an award eight years later.
Award rate, first-time part-time
33%IPEDS 2023, 2015–16 entering cohort
Award rate, non-first-time
66%IPEDS 2023, 2015–16 entering cohortStudents who transferred in or returned — the group graduation rates leave out.
Still enrolled at 8 years
0%IPEDS 2023, 2015–16 entering cohort

Student perspective

People you could talk with

First names only

These sample profiles show the kinds of conversations we are building for Purdue University. Actual students and availability will appear here.

Maya

A sample perspective for students exploring Computer Science at Purdue University. Ask about classes, finding your people, and settling into life in West Lafayette.

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Jordan

A sample perspective for students curious about Mechanical Engineering and the choices outside class at Purdue University. Bring questions about campus culture, activities, and a typical week.

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Alex

A sample perspective for students considering Experimental Psychology at Purdue University. Talk through housing, budget, and what the move to West Lafayette could feel like.

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Sample profiles. Actual students and availability will appear here.

Ask a student

The numbers start the conversation. A current student can tell you what they feel like.

Median earnings four years after graduation

$81,751

2022–23 earnings; 2024 dollars

Ask a student: How do students find internships and career support?

What this measures

Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled 4 years after completing. Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars.

IPEDS Outcome Measures component. View source ↗

Programs and majors

What you can study, and to what level.

Highest award
Doctor's degreeIPEDS 2023
Largest program
Computer Science2023–24Ranked by degrees awarded, not by program quality.
Carnegie classification
Doctoral Universities: Highest Research ActivityIPEDS 2023
Academic calendar
SemesterIPEDS 2023

Top 10 majors

2023–24

Ranked by bachelor’s degrees awarded, not by program quality.

  1. Computer Science532 awarded
  2. Mechanical Engineering510 awarded
  3. Experimental Psychology375 awarded
  4. Computer Engineering, General370 awarded
  5. Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General323 awarded
  6. Industrial Engineering257 awarded
  7. Finance, General244 awarded
  8. Mathematical Statistics and Probability216 awarded
  9. Electrical and Electronics Engineering211 awarded
  10. Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse181 awarded

Federal program names may differ from the college’s own major names.

IPEDS Completions component. View source ↗

Servicemembers and veterans

Benefits, credit and support on campus.

Yellow Ribbon Program
YesIPEDS 2023Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit that can cover costs above the state cap.
Credit for military training
YesIPEDS 2023
Dedicated point of contact
YesIPEDS 2023
Student veteran organization
YesIPEDS 2023

IPEDS institutional directory. View source ↗

Varsity athletic teams

Association, conference and what is fielded.

National athletic association
NCAAIPEDS 2023
Primary conference
Big Ten ConferenceIPEDS 2023
Sports with conference play
Baseball · Basketball · Cross country / track · FootballIPEDS 2023IPEDS records football, basketball, baseball and cross country / track only.
NCAA division
Not reported

IPEDS institutional directory. View source ↗

A year on campus

What each month actually feels like.

Warmest month
July — 84° / 63°1991–2020 normals
Coldest month
January — 33° / 18°1991–2020 normals
Wettest month
June — 4.6 in1991–2020 normalsPrecipitation includes the water equivalent of snow.
Move-in week, late August
83° / 62°1991–2020 normals

Right now on campus

Checking nearby weather…

National Weather Service ↗

Typical daily highs and lows, plus monthly precipitation. Plan for the whole school year.

Jan 33° / 18° · 2.2 in.Feb 38° / 21° · 1.8 in.Mar 50° / 30° · 2.7 in.Apr 62° / 40° · 3.8 in.May 73° / 51° · 4.0 in.Jun 81° / 60° · 4.6 in.Jul 84° / 63° · 4.1 in.Aug 83° / 62° · 3.1 in.Sep 77° / 54° · 2.6 in.Oct 65° / 43° · 2.9 in.Nov 50° / 33° · 2.9 in.Dec 38° / 24° · 2.3 in.

1991–2020 climate averages from LAFAYETTE PURDUE UNIV AP, IN US, 1.6 miles from campus. Precipitation includes the water equivalent of snow. NOAA normals may include estimated records; actual conditions vary.

NOAA climate source ↗

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. View source ↗

About these numbers

College Scorecard release: 2026-06-10. Data retrieved: 2026-09-17. Majors: IPEDS 2023–24 bachelor’s completions. Reporting years vary by measure and are shown with each figure.

Enrollment, admissions, tuition, and graduation reporting periods
  • Enrollment of undergraduate certificate/degree-seeking students: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • Admission rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • In-state tuition and fees: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • Out-of-state tuition and fees: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • Completion rate for first-time, full-time students at four-year institutions (150% of expected time to completion): Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

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