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Purdue University-Main Campus: cost, admission and results

Purdue University-Main Campus is a public college in West Lafayette, Indiana. It has about 44,503 undergraduate students. It admits 50% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $14,851 a year.

At a glance

  • 50%Admission rate
  • $14,851Net price a year
  • 84%Graduation rate
  • $80,082Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Small city
Undergraduate students
44,503
Graduate students
13,839
Students per teacher
14 to 1
Accredited by
Higher Learning Commission
Website
purdue.edu

Getting in

Purdue University-Main Campus admits 50% of those who apply, which makes it moderately selective. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1364 out of 1600 (midpoints: 640 in reading and writing, 670 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 30 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from Indiana$9,992
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$28,794
Room and meals on campus$13,720
Books and supplies$1,090
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$25,610
Average net price after grants and scholarships$14,851

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 25% below the median net price of colleges in Indiana on this site ($19,832). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $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
Above $110,000$23,490

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeIN medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year93%76%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)84%59%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$80,082$58,360$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$18,750$22,000$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Indiana and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

16% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 23% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 41% women and 59% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 1 of the 53 colleges in Indiana on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,464.

Other colleges in Indiana of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Purdue University-Main Campus?

Purdue University-Main Campus admits 50% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Purdue University-Main Campus?

Published tuition and fees are $9,992 a year for students from Indiana and $28,794 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Purdue University-Main Campus?

84% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

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