Public · Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Graduates earn a median of $45,872 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $13,171/yr.

$45,872
10-yr median earnings
$13,171
Avg net price / yr
83.9%
Acceptance rate
34.4%
4-yr completion

The verdict

Purdue University Fort Wayne pairs above-median graduate earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 34%
graduate earnings, US
83.9%
acceptance rate
34.4%
4-yr completion
+7%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large Carnegie: Master's (M)

Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution in Fort Wayne, Indiana enrolling 5,484 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release. The acceptance rate is 83.9% with an average SAT of 1,100. Graduates earn a median of $45,872 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid data. The average net price after financial aid is $13,171. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

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Data updated July 2026

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Purdue University Fort Wayne

Purdue University Fort Wayne operates as a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana (city: large), with a total reported enrollment of 5,484 students of which 8,360 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile's peer group and cost cohort are determined; Purdue University Fort Wayne is categorized as "Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Admissions and cost figures below come from the same annual IPEDS Fall enrollment survey and net-price calculation that every Title IV institution is legally required to submit to the federal government, so the same standardized methodology applies whether comparing a public flagship or a small private college. Net price nets grant and scholarship aid out of the published sticker price, the number financial-aid experts consider the honest comparison point - the table further down breaks that figure out by family income band rather than a single blended average, since what one family actually pays can look very different from what another family pays at the identical school.

The outcomes further down come from federal tax records the U.S. Treasury links to former students who received federal financial aid, not a self-reported alumni survey - an approach that removes response bias but also means graduates who never took federal aid are absent from the earnings figures. Completion and retention rates only count first-time, full-time degree-seeking students, so a school with a large transfer or part-time population can serve those students well without that showing up in these particular metrics. Reading the cost, completion, and earnings figures together, rather than any single one in isolation, is the approach the College Scorecard's own methodology recommends for judging return on investment.

College Value Score

C-
College Value Score
53/100
Purdue University Fort Wayne

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings C+
$45,872
10-year median graduate earnings
Net Price B-
$13,171
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Graduation Rate N/A
N/A
6-year completion rate
Debt F
$21,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
71.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
66.6%
First-year students returning for year two
Purdue University Fort Wayne vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceGrad RateDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$45,872

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$13,171

After grants and scholarships

4-yr completion

34.4%

First-time, full-time bachelor's

4-year completion vs national average (40%) 34.4%

Higher is better

College ROI Quadrant - Purdue University Fort Wayne vs peers

Purdue University Fort Wayne positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by 4-year graduation rate (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = avoid (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Purdue University Fort Wayne positioned by e… Carnegie Classification: Master's (M) Master's (… AVOID PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $26K $76K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $6K $21K Avg Net Price ($) Purdue University Fort Wayne (you are here): $46K earn · $13K net · 34% grad You are here - Purdue University … Ivy Tech Community College: $37K earn · $7K net Ivy Tech Community… Purdue University-Main Campus: $72K earn · $15K net · 83% grad Purdue University-… Indiana University-Bloomington: $64K earn · $16K net · 81% grad Indiana University… Purdue University Global: $37K earn · $8K net · 49% grad Purdue University … Ball State University: $52K earn · $15K net · 63% grad Ball State Univers… Indiana University-Indianapolis: $55K earn · $12K net · 54% grad Ross Medical Education Center-Fort Wayne: $30K earn · $20K net Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by 4-year graduation rate. Top-left = best ROI; bottom-right = avoid.

How Purdue University Fort Wayne ranks nationally

Where this school's graduate earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Purdue University Fort Wayne: graduate earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$45,872 Top 34% higher than 66% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2024

Quick Facts

5,484
Total enrollment
83.9%
Acceptance rate
1,100
SAT average
34.4%
4-yr graduation rate
$45,872
10-yr median earnings
66.6%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 83.9%
SAT Average 1,100
SAT Math (25th-75th) 480 – 610
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 490 – 610
ACT Average 23
ACT (25th-75th) 22 – 29

Share of applicants admitted

0%100%83.9%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $9,532
Out-of-State Tuition $22,887
Average Net Price $13,171

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $8,306
$30,001 – $48,000 $8,703
$48,001 – $75,000 $12,444
Over $110,000 $20,224
24.8%
Pell Grant Rate
24.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,500
Median Debt
$228/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

58.7%
Female
35.2%
First Generation

Outcomes

34.4%
4-Year Completion Rate
66.6%
Retention Rate
$42,873
Median Earnings (6yr)
$45,872
Median Earnings (10yr)
60.1%
Earning Over $25K
71.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Top programs at Purdue University Fort Wayne by graduate earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of 2024
Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Master's - $122,581 $50,646
Business/Commerce, General Master's 65 $113,001 $19,974
Computer Science Bachelor's 39 $101,396 $25,500
Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's 15 $85,075 -
Educational Administration and Supervision Master's 11 $83,291 -
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's 26 $81,259 $27,000
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's - $74,918 $24,772
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management Bachelor's 13 $73,576 -
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians Associate's 14 $73,342 -
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician Bachelor's 6 $72,564 $21,784
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Bachelor's - $70,428 $26,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 7 $69,013 -
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Bachelor's 22 $67,236 $21,500
Business/Commerce, General Bachelor's 131 $63,627 $20,003
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 44 $60,816 $23,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Purdue University Fort Wayne?
Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The acceptance rate is 83.9%. The average SAT score is 1,100. Total enrollment is 5,484 students.
How much do Purdue University Fort Wayne graduates earn?
Graduates of Purdue University Fort Wayne earn a median of $45,872 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $42,873.
How much does Purdue University Fort Wayne cost?
The average net price at Purdue University Fort Wayne is $13,171. In-state tuition is $9,532 and out-of-state tuition is $22,887. Median student debt at graduation is $21,500.
What is the graduation rate at Purdue University Fort Wayne?
Purdue University Fort Wayne has a 4-year completion rate of 34.4%. The first-year retention rate is 66.6%.
Is Purdue University Fort Wayne worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Purdue University Fort Wayne is $21,500, while graduates earn a median of $45,872 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 47% of first-year post-graduation earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 71.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $228.

Sources & methodology

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release, PlainCollege tracks 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 individual school-and-program earnings records nationwide.

Every figure on this page is read live from official U.S. federal datasets, as of the 2024-25 release. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Purdue University Fort Wayne

  • Purdue University Fort Wayne's graduates land in the 34th percentile nationally for 10-year earnings among reporting colleges.
  • The average net price after aid is $13,171 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
  • See how this school compares to every other college in Indiana.Browse Indiana

This profile is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or admissions advice. Figures are historical averages and may not predict an individual student's outcome - confirm current details directly with the institution before making enrollment decisions.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Institution profiles are compiled directly from College Scorecard, IPEDS, and Treasury earnings-linkage data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024-25.