Public · University

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana · Small city

#2 graduation rate in Indiana#3 most selective in Indiana#5 for grad earnings in Indiana
49.9%
Admit rate
$14,600
Avg net price
83%
Graduation rate
$72,424
Median earnings

Purdue University-Main Campus is a public bachelor's-granting institution in West Lafayette, Indiana (small city setting), enrolling 44,503 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 44,503 undergradsSmall citySelective · 50% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Big Ten ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Purdue University-Main Campus's admitted students.

Admit rate
49.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
1200–1480
Avg GPA
3.76

Enter a test score to see where you land against Purdue University-Main Campus's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Purdue University-Main Campus's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About West Lafayette, Indiana

West Lafayette is a city in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. Augustus Wylie laid out a town in 1836 in the Wabash River floodplain south of the present Levee. Due to regular flooding of the site, Wylie's town was never built. There is also a branch of the county-run library (Tippecanoe County Public Library) in the Klondike area to the west of the city. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
85 miles
Nearest airport
2 miles to Purdue University (LAF)

How Purdue University-Main Campus compares

View 107 more ranking appearances
#60 · Large Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #20 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #19 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Graduation Rates #22 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Retention Rates #71 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #36 · Public Universities with the Highest Graduation Rates #33 · Public Universities with the Highest Retention Rates #85 · Public Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #10 · Largest Campus-Based Universities #22 · Colleges Closest to Commercial Airports #93 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning $30,000–$48,000 #97 · Public Universities with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price #4 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings in Indiana #11 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in Indiana #2 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in Indiana #4 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in Indiana #4 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in Indiana #24 · Best Colleges in the Midwest #65 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the Midwest #19 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the Midwest #13 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Midwest #31 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the Midwest #22 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the Midwest #6 · Best Public Universities in the Midwest #18 · Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region #49 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the Great Lakes Region #12 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the Great Lakes Region #10 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Great Lakes Region #14 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the Great Lakes Region #19 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the Great Lakes Region #5 · Best Public Universities in the Great Lakes Region #9 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #1 · Certificate Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #76 · Certificate Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #77 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #67 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #2 · Certificate Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #6 · Certificate Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #60 · Certificate Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #11 · Certificate Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #96 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #83 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #44 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #67 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #71 · Bachelor's Computer and Information Sciences, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #79 · Bachelor's Computer and Information Sciences, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #61 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #63 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #64 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #65 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #68 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #45 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #100 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #65 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #61 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #32 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #63 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #38 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #29 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #74 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #33 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #96 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #90 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #87 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #48 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #53 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #8 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #10 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #18 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #63 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #64 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #56 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #30 · Bachelor's Design and Applied Arts Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #32 · Bachelor's Design and Applied Arts Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #35 · Bachelor's Design and Applied Arts Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #88 · Bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #92 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #99 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #90 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #75 · Bachelor's Mathematics Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #63 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #32 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #24 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #32 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #73 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #58 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #47 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #63 · Bachelor's Natural Resources Conservation and Research Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #52 · Bachelor's Natural Resources Conservation and Research Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #65 · Bachelor's Research and Experimental Psychology Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #30 · Bachelor's Research and Experimental Psychology Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #32 · Bachelor's Research and Experimental Psychology Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #16 · Bachelor's Research and Experimental Psychology Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #12 · Bachelor's Film/Video and Photographic Arts Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #30 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #37 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #47 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #30 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #35 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #38 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #42 · Bachelor's Chemistry Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #53 · Bachelor's Chemistry Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #62 · Bachelor's Chemistry Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #35 · Bachelor's Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #16 · Bachelor's Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #15 · Bachelor's Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #8 · Bachelor's Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings
Selectivity49.9%

More selective than 84% · #3 most selective of 42 in Indiana

SAT average1364

Higher than 87%

Graduation rate83%

Higher than 91% · #2 of 45 in Indiana

First-year retention93%

Higher than 90%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$72,424

Higher than 85% · #5 of 44 in Indiana

Average net price$14,600

Cheaper than 74% · #11 cheapest of 45 in Indiana

Median debt at graduation$19,500

Lower than 78%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment44,503

Larger than 99%

Percentiles compare Purdue University-Main Campus with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Indiana.

Purdue University-Main Campus campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

58,342students
  • Undergraduate44,50376%
  • Graduate13,83924%

Undergraduates by gender

44,503undergrads
  • Women21,05947%
  • Men23,44453%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White54%
  • Black2.8%
  • Hispanic7.5%
  • Asian15%
  • Other or multiracial21%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
44,503
Graduate enrollment
13,839
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
13%
First-generation students
19%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$81,834
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$130,257
Endowment
$3,971,950,988

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 9,381 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Indiana46%
  • Other U.S. states46%
  • International7.7%

A regional draw: about 46% of first-years come from Indiana, the rest from elsewhere.

8% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
49.9%
Test scores
Required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1200–1480
SAT average
1364
SAT reading
600–720
SAT math
600–760
ACT composite
27–34
Average GPA
3.76

Cost

In-state tuition
$9,992
Out-of-state tuition
$28,794
Room & board
$12,820
Books & supplies
$1,070
Total cost of attendance
$24,591
Average net price
$14,600

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
83%
Graduated on time (4 years)
65%
First-year retention
93%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$60,838
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$72,424
Median debt at graduation
$19,500
Students with federal loans
22%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
74%

About 18% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
65%
Low-income (Pell)
68%
First-generation
68%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
16,270
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
37%
Housing charge (year)
$6,480
Meal plan (year)
$5,398
Application fee
$60
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Big Ten Conference
Varsity athletes
662 (376 men · 286 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)217
Football126
Swimming83
Baseball45
Soccer36
Wrestling34
Basketball33
Softball24
Volleyball24
Golf21
Tennis19

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
83
Property offenses (2022–2024)
300

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 10 campuses (58,658 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

128reported offenses a year
28 violent a year100 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
85
Rape
17
Burglary
10
Fondling
7.3
Arson
5.0
Aggravated assault
2.0
Robbery
1.0
Murder
0.3
Statutory rape
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$5,098
$30–48k
$6,241
$48–75k
$9,438
$75–110k
$18,177
$110k+
$22,742

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$40,817

$9,438/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

35%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,075
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 35% — get grant money from Purdue University-Main Campus itself, averaging $8,075, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 9,364 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$72,424
Typical debt at graduation
$19,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
27%
Out-earn a HS grad
78%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$59,550
Men
$81,846

Men out-earn women by $22,296 (37%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
18°F
Annual rain
37″
Annual snow
18.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lafayette Purdue Univ AP, IN US station (1.6 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Purdue University-Main Campus

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Purdue University-Main Campus side by side →

Colleges near Purdue University-Main Campus

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.