All the detailed information about the Purdue University Acceptance Rate is readily available on this page, catering to both undergraduate and graduate applicants.
In the fall of 2022, Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus welcomed more than 9,300 new freshmen, which was a big group of students. Before that, in the previous time when students applied, the university got a really high number of applications—68,309 to be exact.
Even though the rate of students getting accepted has been around 50%, it’s important to realize that Purdue University is quite picky. Especially if you’re aiming for their top-ranked engineering and computer science programs, it’s harder to get in. Indiana residents usually have a better chance compared to students from other states or countries.
Because there are a lot of smart students wanting to join the Boilermaker community, it’s really important for potential students to understand that it’s a competitive process.
When Purdue University–West Lafayette looks at who to let in, they are careful. About half of the students they accept have SAT scores between 1190 and 1430, or ACT scores of 26 to 33. But a quarter of the students they accept have scores above these numbers, and another quarter have scores below. The university accepts applications all the time, and it costs $60 to apply.
When they decide who gets in, they really care about how well a student did in school (GPA). They also think about things like class rank if they know it, and they pay attention to letters of recommendation that people write for the student. This is what the people who decide who gets in at Purdue University–West Lafayette think about when they look at applications.
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Purdue University Acceptance Rate – 2023
For those aspiring to be part of the Class of 2026 at Purdue, the acceptance rate stood at 53%. Applicants from within the state usually have a five-point edge in the admissions process.
Nevertheless, it’s worth highlighting that the requirements for getting into different colleges within Purdue University are quite diverse. While the exact acceptance rates for specific colleges are not disclosed, we do have information about their more competitive programs:
Purdue College of Engineering
- The average accepted engineering applicant has an unweighted 3.82 GPA.
- The average SAT score for an accepted engineering student is above 1430; on the ACT, it is a 32.
- A couple of years ago, the reported acceptance rate for engineering applicants was around 40%; this is likely lower in 2023.
Computer Science
- While the school doesn’t offer any official figures, the Purdue CS acceptance rate is believed to be as low as a touch under 10% or as high as 15%, depending on the year.
- The number of accepted internal CS transfer applicants has dwindled each year as Computer Science has become Purdue’s most popular major.
Purdue Admissions – SAT, ACT, GPA, and Class Rank
Among those enrolled in the Class of 2026, the mid-50% GPA was 3.5-3.9, the SAT range was 1190-1410 and the ACT range 26-33. Further, 53% were in the top decile of their high school class, 82% were in the top quartile, and 97% were in the top half.
Admissions Trends & Notes – Class of 2026
- Purdue announced that they will require SAT/ACT scores for the 2024 admissions cycle.
- The overall number of applications increased from 59,173 for the Class of 2025 to over 68,000 for the Class of 2026.
- There are 135 countries represented on campus as the number of international students remained on an upward trend.
- 13% of freshmen are underrepresented minorities.
- 26% of 2022-23 freshmen enrolled in the College of Engineering, the most of any school.
Who Gets Into Purdue University—West Lafayette?
Let’s look at the demographics of Purdue undergraduates:
Purdue undergrads hailed in fairly equal numbers from the state of Indiana and other states in the U.S.:
- From Indiana: 47%
- Out-of-State: 42%
- International: 11%
Looking at ethnic identity among the current Boilermaker undergraduate student body, the breakdown is as follows:
- Asian American: 12%
- Hispanic: 6%
- African American: 2%
- International: 11%
- White: 63%
- Two or more races: 4%
International undergraduate students hail from 113 countries with the greatest representation from the following nations:
- China
- India
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Vietnam
The breakdown by gender of the Class of 2025 shows a heavier concentration of male students:
- Male: 57%
- Female: 43%
With so many more male students at Purdue, female applicants do enjoy an advantage in the admissions process. For the Class of 2026 applicants, women were admitted at a 64% clip compared to a 45% figure for men.
Purdue’s Yield Rate
For the Class of 2026, Purdue University observed a yield rate of 26%, a metric derived from the division of the accepted students who choose to enroll by the total count of admitted individuals. Interestingly, this figure falls below the yield rates seen in certain other well-regarded public institutions, such as UT-Austin, Georgia Tech, and Ohio State.
How Purdue Rates Applicants
- Purdue University emphasizes three key factors as highly significant in their admissions assessment: the applicant’s GPA, standardized test scores, and the level of challenge in their high school coursework. Additionally, five factors hold notable importance in the Purdue evaluation: letters of recommendation, essays, involvement in extracurricular activities, being a first-generation student, and demonstrating commendable character and personal qualities.
In the admissions office’s own words:
- “Admission to Purdue is based on a holistic evaluation of each student’s application in the context of the overall applicant pool for a particular Purdue college or specific major. For example, admission to nursing is highly competitive because it is a small program with a large applicant pool.”
- “You can use our Freshman Class Profile Page to see “middle 50%” ranges for GPAs and SAT or ACT tests. However, these ranges represent the entire freshman class – the middle 50% for individual majors may be higher or lower based on space availability or the rigor of the program’s curriculum.”
Tips for Applying to Purdue University—West Lafayette
If you plan on joining the 68,000+ Boilermaker hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
- Purdue does not offer interviews. Therefore, the best way to personalize the admissions process is through your essays and recommendations.
- Purdue considers “demonstrated interest” in the admissions process. This means you may gain an advantage by visiting campus, connecting through social media, emailing an admissions officer, etc.
- You can apply by November 1 to meet the Early Action Deadline. The Regular Decision deadline is January 15. However, the earlier you submit your application, the better.
- Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the (up to) three short answer prompts that you may need to address. They are as follows:
- How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom? (100 words)
- Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (100 words)
- Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (250 words)
Summary of Purdue University Acceptance Rate
Purdue University students typically showcase scholastic achievements with A- to B+ grade averages, earned through dedicated efforts within a demanding high school curriculum.
Aside from that, they exhibit standardized test scores that surpass the 90th percentile among all test-takers, indicating above-average performance.
However, for those aspiring to join the realms of engineering or computer science, a higher level of accomplishment is encouraged, with virtually all A grades and standardized test scores exceeding the 95th percentile being recommended.
