Purdue University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Purdue University, a public university in Indiana, reports a 50% acceptance rate and sits in the selective band. In practice that means it admits a minority of applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Purdue University weighs, where it ranks among Indiana schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1430, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Purdue University application deadlines, 2026-27 · Purdue University supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at Purdue University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Purdue University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Purdue University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Purdue University?
Your odds at Purdue University are not the same as its 50% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Purdue University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Purdue University hard to get into?
Purdue University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 50% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into Purdue University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Purdue University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Purdue University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Purdue University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Purdue University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Purdue University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1340 SAT?
About 71% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1340 SAT, the middle of Purdue University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1480 SAT comes out near 91%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/purdue-university.
How to get into Purdue University
Built from Purdue University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Purdue University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Purdue University carries about a 3.45 core GPA and a 1430 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1200 to 1480 SAT (27 to 34 ACT). Scores are required, so schedule a retake if you are below the midpoint.
Purdue University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Purdue University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.purdue.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Purdue University, and how many get in?
Purdue University admitted 36,763 of the 73,083 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 50.3%. 9,381 enrolled. Only about 26% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Purdue University enrolls about 44,503 undergraduates in total, 41% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Purdue University?
Admitted students at Purdue University post SAT scores of 1200 to 1480 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1364. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 27 to 34. A score above 1480 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1200 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Purdue University requires test scores, so plan a test date that leaves time for one retake.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Purdue University looks for
What Purdue University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Purdue University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Purdue University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Purdue University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Purdue University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Purdue University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $24,591 a year. Tuition and fees are $9,992 for IN residents and $28,794 for out-of-state students, a $18,802 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $14,600 a year, and it ranges from $5,098 for families earning under $30,000 to $22,742 for families earning over $110,000. 13% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Purdue University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Purdue University students ten years after entry are $72,424 ($60,838 at the six-year mark). 83% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $19,500; 22% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Purdue University compares in Indiana
Purdue University ranks #2 most selective of 40 schools in Indiana in our database.
Among the 40 Indiana schools we track, Purdue University ranks #2 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Notre Dame (11%) and DePauw University (57%) sit nearby, which makes Indiana a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Purdue University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Purdue University often weigh North Carolina A&T State University, Harris-Stowe State University, and Stony Brook University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Purdue University's acceptance rate?
Purdue University admitted 36,763 of 73,083 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 50.3% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 26% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Purdue University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1200 to 1480 on the SAT and 27 to 34 on the ACT. A score above 1480 is in the top quarter of admits.
Is Purdue University test-optional?
No. Purdue University reports that test scores are required for admission.
How much does Purdue University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Purdue University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $14,600 a year against a sticker price of about $24,591. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $5,098 on average.
What do Purdue University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Purdue University are $72,424 a year among students who received federal aid, and 83% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Purdue University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Purdue University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Purdue University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Purdue University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Purdue University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Purdue University specifically.
Is Purdue University a target or a reach for an average applicant?
For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near Purdue University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.