Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL: the complete school report for parents

What does Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL actually weigh in admissions?

Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL 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-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

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.

What is the Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL waitlist really like?

Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL 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-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL 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-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL requires 16 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.

What will Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $14,600 a year at Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL 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:

34% of Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $31,369 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $207 a month in repayment. Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Purdue-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL 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:

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-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL:

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-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL 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.

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-West Lafayette|Purdue|PU|Purdue-WL

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