University in United States
West Lafayette, IN, United States
University profile
Purdue University is a public research university whose main campus is in West Lafayette, Indiana, with a fully integrated location in Indianapolis. It describes West Lafayette as Indiana's only land-grant university, with 200-plus undergraduate programmes, over 80 graduate programmes, Big Ten Conference athletics and a research environment of more than 400 labs. Fall 2025 enrolment across West Lafayette and Indianapolis was 57,310 (43,067 undergraduate, 13,317 graduate and 926 professional), drawing students from all 50 states and 121 countries.
Academic units are the College of Agriculture, Mitch Daniels School of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering, Exploratory Studies, College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Pharmacy, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, College of Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and the John Martinson Honors College, together with the Graduate School. Students are admitted directly into a specific major. Engineering is the largest college at 33.2% of enrolment, followed by Science (14.6%) and Polytechnic (11.9%).
Purdue University in Indianapolis offers nearly 20 STEM-focused majors, with direct admission to engineering programmes, industry internships and hands-on learning in an urban setting. The wider Purdue system also includes Purdue University Fort Wayne, Purdue University Northwest (Hammond and Westville), Purdue Polytechnic statewide locations in nine Indiana communities, and Purdue Online.
On the West Lafayette campus first-year students choose from a variety of housing options and five dining courts; two on-campus housing options are available in Indianapolis. Student life includes more than 1,000 clubs and organisations, over 90 fraternities, sororities and cooperatives, recreation and wellness programmes, and arts and entertainment including Purdue Galleries. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 14.7:1, average class size is 35, and 2,326 students studied abroad.
International students number 9,270 (3,974 undergraduate) from 121 countries; international students make up 9% of undergraduates. The Office of International Students and Scholars supports immigration, visa and travel questions. Undergraduate admission uses the Common App with a Nov. 1 Early Action deadline and a Jan. 15 regular deadline, and the application fee is $60.
Applicants who complete their admission application by the Nov. 1 Early Action deadline are automatically considered for university-wide merit scholarships, notified with the admission decision. Awards are renewable for up to four years with a Purdue cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.
About 15% of applicants receive a merit award.
The Division of Financial Aid administers federal, state and Purdue need-based aid. Submit the FAFSA (opens Oct. 1) by the April 15 priority date. Indiana residents may also qualify for Purdue Promise and Boiler Gold Grant.
In general, international undergraduate students are not eligible for financial aid, including scholarships; the merit scholarships above are open only to domestic students (U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents and others lawfully present in the U.S.). International students on F, J and some other visa types are not eligible.
Need-Based Financial Aid (FAFSA) →
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View scholarships for Purdue University →Applications to West Lafayette and Indianapolis are reviewed individually and holistically; applicants apply to a specific major through the Common App. Minimum high school expectations: 4 years of math, 4 years of English, 3 years of laboratory science, 3 years of social studies and 2 years of world language. Engineering applicants are expected to have chemistry; nursing, pharmacy and veterinary nursing require one year of chemistry and one of biology.
SAT, ACT or CLT scores are expected (no preference between tests; the optional ACT Science section is not required) and must be from within the past five years; applications are accepted in exceptional cases where no test could be taken. Fall 2025 admitted first-year students had a middle 50% of 1220-1480 SAT, 28-34 ACT and 3.70-4.00 high school GPA, with an admit rate of 43.4%. A complete application includes the essay, Purdue-specific questions, self-reported grades and test scores, and the application fee.
Applicants with 12 or more college credit hours earned after high school graduation apply as transfers; official transcripts from all colleges are required and minimum high school course requirements apply (one semester of 100-level college coursework equals two semesters of high school coursework). Fall term applications run Jan. 15 to June 1 (engineering priority March 31); spring term Sept. 1 to Nov. 1 (engineering priority Oct. 1); summer term Jan. 15 to April 1. Some majors are closed to transfers.
International applicants submit at least three consecutive years of courses and grades and proof of secondary graduation before enrolling, with country-specific documents (for example, applicants from Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone submit senior secondary transcripts for years 9 to 11 and, once graduated, the WAEC or NECO certificate). Non-English documents need certified English translations. Applicants who are not first-language English speakers show English proficiency with a test taken within the past two years: TOEFL iBT 88 or higher with at least 20 per section (exams before Jan. 21, 2026) or 4.5 with at least 4.0 per section (on or after Jan. 21, 2026); IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6.0 per section (General Training not accepted); Duolingo English Test generally 115 with 110 or higher in subscores; ACT English 26; SAT EBRW 600; or three years in an English-taught curriculum with B or better in English courses. Meeting a minimum does not guarantee admission. Indiana law adds review steps for citizens of certain countries (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and others identified by the U.S. or Indiana).
Graduate applicants apply to individual graduate programmes through the Graduate School; international graduate enquiries go to [email protected].
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