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Purdue is a public university in West Lafayette, Indiana founded by John Purdue in 1869, and currently offers over 200 majors and 70 master’s programs in the fields of pharmaceuticals, nursing, and medicine. Purdue has a total undergraduate enrollment of about 40,000 students that attend classes on a campus that takes up just over 2,400 acres, with an academic calendar that operates on a semester system. Purdue has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 which is on the smaller end for a large public institution.
Students at Purdue get to explore a sprawling campus and attend classes in historic buildings situated along with the Purdue and Memorial Malls. The school is known for its competitive engineering program that offers courses in both mechanical and civil engineering and has produced esteemed alumni including astronaut Neil Armstrong. Indiana residents should note that in-state students pay about half what out-of-state students pay for tuition and fees, which can make this school a competitive option for in-state applicants.
Purdue has established itself as a top research university through the investment in on-campus infrastructure and strategic partnerships with like-minded institutions. The Purdue Research Park is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to research and development by maintaining ongoing communication with companies in the manufacturing, IT, and life sciences sectors. Beyond academics, Purdue’s Boilermaker athletic teams compete in the BIG10 Conference, with an annual football rivalry with Indiana University’s Hoosiers in what is known locally as the Old Oaken Bucket. Notable alumni include Chopped host Ted Allen, popcorn tycoon Orville Redenbacher, and pilot Chesley Sullenberger.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2040
* These statistics utilize the most recently released data from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System)
Sources for school statistics and data include U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Data may vary depending on school and academic year.
- Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
- Didactic Program in Dietetics
- Pharmacy (PHAR) - Professional degree programs
- Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS))
- Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Clinical doctoral program in Audiology
- Veterinary Medicine (VET) - Programs leading to a D.V.M. or D.M.V. degree (College of Veterinary Medicine)
- Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
- Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
- Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools
Source data obtained from U.S. Department of Education's Office of Post-secondary Education (OPE)
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Based on 17 ReviewsAstronauts Neil Armstrong and Gus Grissom, Nobel Prize–winning physicist Edward Mills Purcell, mathematician Yitang Zhang, and biochemist Edwin T. Mertz all graduated from Purdue. In the business world, graduates include Bechtel Corporation owner Stephen Bechtel, Jr., popcorn brand creator Orville Redenbacher, and Gregory Wasson, the President and CEO of Walgreen Company. Other alumni are NFL quarterback Drew Brees, former Indiana Governor Harry G. Leslie, and Brian Lamb, the Founder and CEO of C-SPAN.
The main campus of Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, a small city close to the Wabash River. The 2,468 acre, urban campus is the home of over a dozen student residence halls, including Hillenbrand Hall’s Gender Inclusive Living Community that provides a comfortable environment for students of all gender identities. There is also a residence hall for STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts and Agriculture, Math) students who want to incorporate their studies into their living space. Students who reside at the Honors College and Residences facility have easy access to study and reading rooms, computer labs, and a hall where lectures, presentations, and movie screenings are held. But Purdue’s dedication to diversity does not end where students lay their heads at night. Communities can be found for those in several walks of life at the school’s student centers, such as the Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center, Latino Culture Center, and the Native American Educational and Cultural Center.
Are you working full-time and looking for a convenient way to earn a graduate degree to move your career to the next level? Purdue University Online offers flexible, asynchronous degree programs that give busy students the ability to juggle their education with other responsibilities by obtaining weekly assignments, lectures, discussions, and other course materials through the school’s virtual classroom interface. Degree options include master’s degrees in disciplines such as economics, leadership, information technology, computer science, education, and communication. No matter what degree program online students enroll in, they have the confidence that they’ll get the same quality education enjoyed by their on-campus counterparts because online courses are taught by the same faculty members.
Purdue University’s Boilermaker football team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and has won 12 conference championships. The Boilermakers basketball team, which is part of NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference, has seen 30 members dribble their way into the NBA after playing for Purdue. Sports fans at the school can also enjoy cross country, golf, soccer, wrestling, and tennis competitions.
Purdue made huge contributions to the aviation industry as the first school to offer a bachelor’s degree in aviation, as well as college-level courses in flight training. The school is even the home of the first university-owned airport, located in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. As a result, several Purdue graduates have been chosen for space flights, including Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan, the first and last men to walk on the moon. In fact, 37 percent of U.S. space flights have been flown by Purdue alumni. Aviation is not the only research area where Purdue is flying high. Researchers from the school led a study that identified the structure of the Zika virus, which is expected to pave the way for developing vaccinations and treatments. Earlier this year, the school received $8.8 million from the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on how to decrease the amount of sodium teenagers consume. And even Purdue research that was conducted years ago still resonates today: During the 2012 presidential election, political science professor James McCann did research on the voting habits and political leanings of members of the Latino community—which has proven to be relevant to the 2016 race.