Public · West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University-Main Campus: cost, real price and admissions

Sticker price (2024-25)

$26,172

In-state, on campus

Avg net price (2023-24)

$13,722

After grants

Admitted (Fall 2024)

50%

Selective

Graduate in 6 yrs

84%

College Scorecard

Sources: NCES College Navigator (IPEDS) and College Scorecard · Data last checked 2026-10-22

Overview

Purdue University-Main Campus is a public institution in West Lafayette, Indiana with about 44,503 undergraduate degree-seeking students (College Scorecard). Its published cost of attendance for a first-year student living on campus was $26,172 for in-state students and $44,974 for out-of-state students in 2024-25, while first-year students who received grants paid $13,722 on average in 2023-24. In Fall 2024 it received 78,745 applications and admitted 50% of applicants. 84% of full-time first-time students graduated within six years (College Scorecard).

Overview text is assembled from the federal figures on this page; it contains no claims we could not source.

Type
4-year, Public
Campus setting
City: Small
Campus housing
Yes
Student-to-faculty ratio
14 to 1
Religious affiliation
Not applicable
Total students
58,658 (44,819 undergraduate)
Accreditor
Higher Learning Commission
Source
College Navigator / College Scorecard

Net price, earnings and debt

Average net price per year
$14,851
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$80,082
Median federal debt at completion
$18,750

Four years at the average net price ($59,404) is about 0.74× one year of median earnings.

Earnings and debt cover only students who received federal aid (grants or loans), not every graduate, and include students who did not finish. They describe past students and do not show that a college causes higher or lower earnings: who enrolls, what they study and where they live after all matter. International students are generally not in these figures.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (October 15, 2026 release). Earnings: median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid, measured 10 years after they entered the college (MD_EARN_WNE_P10). Debt: median federal loan debt of undergraduate borrowers who completed (GRAD_DEBT_MDN). Net price: average annual net price for federal aid recipients (NPT4). Compare colleges.

Cost at your income

What families like yours paid

Your family's yearly income

Average net price, $48k–75k (2023-24)

$9,438

About $787 a month, 64% below the $26,172 sticker price

Averages for full-time first-year students who received federal (Title IV) aid and paid in-state tuition. Your price depends on your own finances; use the school's net price calculator for a personal estimate. IPEDS does not publish how many students are in each income band for this figure.

Source: NCES College Navigator (IPEDS) · Data year 2023-24

All income levels at a glance

$0–30k$5,098
$30–48k$6,241
$48–75k$9,438
$75–110k$18,177
$110k+$22,742
Sticker
$26,172
Average net price by family income
Family incomeAvg net priceStudents in band
$0–30k$6,147310
$30k–48k$5,618256
$48k–75k$9,056400
$75k–110k$15,253414
$110k+$23,490835

College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, release 2026-10-15), students who received federal (Title IV) aid. Bands with fewer than 30 students are greyed out because one or two students can move the average a lot. Counts: Scorecard fields NUM41–NUM45.

Why can a higher income band cost less here? Each band is a separate average for students who received federal aid and fall in that income group. Small groups and a different mix of grants in each group can make a higher band come out lower. These are the published figures, not adjusted.

Get a personal estimate: Purdue University-Main Campus net price calculator.

Source: NCES College Navigator (IPEDS) · Data year 2023-24

Admissions

50% of applicants admitted

0%50%100% admitted

Selective

Applicants

78,745

Admitted

50%

Admitted who enrolled

29%

SAT midpoint (Scorecard)

1310

Band is our label for the federal admit rate: Most selective under 15%; Very selective 15%–35%; Selective 35%–60%; Moderately selective 60%–85%; Admits most applicants 85%+. It is not a prediction of your chances.

Requirements and test policy: official admissions site.

Source: NCES College Navigator (IPEDS) · Data year Fall 2024

Cost of attendance

Where the $26,172 goes

Tuition & fees

$9,992

38%

Housing & food

$12,820

49%

Books & supplies

$1,070

4%

Other expenses

$2,290

9%

Out-of-state students: $44,974 (tuition and fees $28,794).

Sticker price vs. the average grant

Sticker
$26,172
Avg grant−$11,294

40% of full-time first-year students received a grant (2023-24); sticker price is 2024-25.

Sticker price over time

$22,812
2021-22
$22,922
2022-23
$24,882
2023-24
$26,172
2024-25

Change 2021-22 to 2024-25: 15%.

Source: NCES College Navigator (IPEDS) · Data year 2021-22 to 2024-25

Financial aid

Who gets aid, and how much

TypeShareAvg
Any grant or scholarship
40%
$11,294
Pell grants
13%
$5,650
Grants from the school
37%
$8,003
State or local grants
11%
$7,557
Federal student loans
25%
$5,116

Full-time first-year undergraduates. School grants combine need-based and merit awards; federal data does not separate them.

Source: NCES College Navigator (IPEDS) · Data year 2023-24

Outcomes

Graduation, debt and earnings

84%

Graduate within 6 years

Full-time, first-time

93%

Return for year two

Full-time first-year students

Median federal debt

$18,750

Graduates; about $199/month over 10 years at 5.5%*

Median earnings

$80,082

10 years after starting

*Illustrative payment on a standard 10-year plan at an assumed 5.5% rate; your rate may differ.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard API (release 2026-10-15) · Data year most recent cohorts, release 2026-10-15

Ways to pay

Close the gap

Official links: financial aid · net price calculator · website

FAQ

Common questions

How much does Purdue University-Main Campus cost per year?

The published cost of attendance for a first-year student living on campus was $26,172 (in-state; $44,974 out-of-state) in 2024-25, according to NCES College Navigator.

What do students actually pay at Purdue University-Main Campus after aid?

First-year students who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $13,722 in 2023-24. By family income, averages ranged from $5,098 to $22,742.

What is the acceptance rate at Purdue University-Main Campus?

In Fall 2024, Purdue University-Main Campus received 78,745 applications and admitted 50% of applicants; 29% of admitted students enrolled.

What is the graduation rate at Purdue University-Main Campus?

84% of full-time first-time students graduated within six years, per the College Scorecard. Median federal debt for graduates was $18,750.

Sources & method

Data last checked 2026-10-22. Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education sources below, with the data year shown next to it; nothing is estimated. Where federal tools disagree, we show both. Data on this page is licensed CC BY 4.0.

We don't sell student data. Nothing on this page asks for your information.

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