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Rank: 23

Purdue University

West Lafayette, INhttps://www.purdue.edu
Purdue was founded in 1874 with just 39 students and six teachers. Now it's a public land grant university with roughly 43,000 students, including more than 32,000 undergraduates. The majority of its students come from Indiana, 34% hail from other states, and 14% are from other countries. Nearly a third of Purdue undergraduates enroll in its well-regarded school of engineering, but students have more than 200 different majors to decide among (offerings include farm management, wildlife, and cybersecurity). Purdue's website has an intriguing feature where students can browse majors by personality type. Boilermaker football is a school-wide obsession at this Big Ten school, and Greek life is a dominant social force on campus. But with nearly 1,000 student organizations to choose from, everyone is likely to find something to match their interests, whether that's volunteering at no-kill animal shelters or preparing for dental school. When students want to venture off campus, West Lafayette boasts its share of student-friendly bars and restaurants. Purdue grads tend to do well in the job market, reporting average early career salaries to PayScale of $61,500, which is about 18% higher than other schools with similar demographics, according to Money's calculations.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
FALL 2020 PLAN: Purdue allowed students to decide whether to come back to campus for the fall semester or take classes remotely. All returning students had to submit to a COVID-19 test, and agree to follow other guidelines and precautions outlined by the school.
costs
Est. Full Price 2020-2021
$23,500
% of students who get any grants
51%
Est. price for students who receive aid
$12,400
Average price for low-income students
$5,100
admissions
Acceptance rate
58%
Median SAT/ACT Score
1300/29
SAT/ACT Required for Fall 2021?
yes
Enrollment
33,500
Financial Aid
% of students with need who get grants
80%
% of need met
78%
% of students who get merit* grants
14%
Average merit grant
$5,040
student success
Graduation rate
81%
Average time to a degree
4.4 years
Average student debt
$19,500
Average salary within 5 years
$61,500
% earning more than $28,000
84%
key deadlines
Early decision application
Nov 1
Regular application
Jan 15

* Share of full-time undergraduates who had no financial need and were awarded grants.

* Full price of attendance includes on-campus room & board fees, which may not be applicable to all colleges' reopening plans this year.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson's, PayScale.com, Money/American Institutes for Research calculations, Opportunity Insights.

coronavirus update

FALL 2020 PLAN: Purdue allowed students to decide whether to come back to campus for the fall semester or take classes remotely. All returning students had to submit to a COVID-19 test, and agree to follow other guidelines and precautions outlined by the school.

* Share of full-time undergraduates who had no financial need and were awarded grants.

* Full price of attendance includes on-campus room & board fees, which may not be applicable to all colleges' reopening plans this year.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson's, PayScale.com, Money/American Institutes for Research calculations, Opportunity Insights.

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