Purdue: the complete school report for parents
Purdue puts the most weight on course rigor, GPA and the essay. A second tier of test scores, extracurricular activities and recommendations carries real weight too. It does not consider legacy and the interview, so family connections carry no weight. With a 43.4% admit rate and 71% of enrolled students at a 3.75 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and a strong test score is close to expected. Major matters more than the name on the diploma here: five years out, Computer Science graduates earn a median $149,545 against $40,186 for Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management.
Purdue is officially Purdue University-Main Campus, also known as Purdue-west Lafayette or Purdue-wl. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Purdue a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Purdue against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Purdue actually weigh in admissions?
Purdue rates 3 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Purdue's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Purdue rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Important |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Important |
| personal qualities | Important |
| talent | Considered |
| class rank | Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Considered |
| the interview | Not Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Important |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Purdue consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Purdue consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Purdue consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Purdue consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does Purdue consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Purdue consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Purdue consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Purdue consider a special talent or ability?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Purdue consider class rank?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Purdue consider demonstrated interest?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Purdue consider an interview?
No. Purdue does not consider it. There is no interview to prepare for.
Does Purdue consider legacy status?
No. Purdue does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Purdue consider being first-generation?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Purdue consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Purdue consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Purdue consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Purdue consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Purdue consider religious affiliation?
No. Purdue does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
71% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.81 on a 4 scale, reported for 92.76% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 42.66% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 27.97% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 15.91% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 8.22% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 3.32% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 1.71% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 0.19% |
What is the Purdue waitlist really like?
Purdue offered a place on its waiting list to 8,981 applicants and 4,047 accepted one. 3,916 were ultimately admitted. That is 96.8% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Purdue admitted 42.6% of 4,422 transfer applicants, against 43.4% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Purdue reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | Not reported |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | Not reported |
| Reply / deposit deadline | Not reported |
| Early Decision offered | No |
| Early Action offered | Yes |
| Early Action deadline | November 1 |
| Application fee | $60 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | No |
What does my child need to take in high school?
Purdue requires 16 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | Not stated |
| Mathematics | 4 years | Not stated |
| Science | 3 years | Not stated |
| of which lab science | 3 years | Not stated |
| Foreign language | 2 years | Not stated |
What will Purdue actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $14,600 a year at Purdue after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $9,718. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 65.27% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 55 merit awards averaging $32,105 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
What families at each income level actually paid:
| Family income | Average net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $5,098 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $6,241 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $9,438 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $18,177 |
| Over $110,000 | $22,742 |
34% of Purdue graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $31,369 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $207 a month in repayment. Purdue’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Purdue pay off?
Graduates earn a median $72,424 ten years after entering, and $60,838 at six years. 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 78% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:
| Family income | Four-year net cost | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $20,392 | 0.7 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $24,964 | 0.9 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $37,752 | 1.3 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $72,708 | 2.6 |
| Over $110,000 | $90,968 | 3.2 |
A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.
$149,545 to $40,186, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Purdue:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $149,545 | 439 |
| Computer Engineering | $118,081 | 297 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $100,920 | 147 |
| Industrial Engineering | $100,438 | 262 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $97,947 | 298 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $97,551 | 430 |
| Statistics | $97,489 | 212 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $95,734 | 203 |
| Chemical Engineering | $94,979 | 164 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $49,575 | 285 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $43,184 | 50 |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | $40,186 | 53 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
92% of first-years return for a second year. 66% graduate within four years and 84% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 74.7% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 86.3% of everyone else, a gap of 11.6 points.
How big are the classes?
40% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 8% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 14:1, and 96% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.
What is life at Purdue like?
43,633 undergraduates, 52.87% of first-years from out of state. 92.7% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 40.2% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 10% of men join a fraternity and 16.38% of women a sorority. 19% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $68,624.
Purdue does not guarantee housing for new first-year students. University Residences assigns rooms based on availability, giving priority to students who apply by the deadline (5 May for fall 2026, with 15 April recommended for learning communities and roommate matching). No one is required to live in University housing.
Source: New Undergraduate Resident FAQs, Purdue University Residences; FAQs, Purdue University Residences
Post-graduation outcomes are published through the Center for Career Opportunities First Destination Survey.
Source: Office of Undergraduate Research, Purdue University; About Purdue: Facts and Figures; First Destination Survey Data, Purdue CCO
How is Purdue ranked, and how strong is the alumni network?
Purdue reports more than 600,000 alumni; the university does not say whether that figure counts only living graduates.
Source: About Purdue: Facts and Figures
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- 71% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.81. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 3,916 of 4,047 who waited were admitted, about 97%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $149,545 five years out against $40,186 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Purdue
What GPA do you need for Purdue?
71% of enrolled students at Purdue had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.81, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the Purdue waitlist move?
4,047 students accepted a place on the Purdue waiting list and 3,916 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Purdue graduates earn?
Purdue graduates earn a median $72,424 ten years after entering, and 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Purdue
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Purdue’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.