10-yr median earnings
$72,424
Federal aid recipients only
Public · West Lafayette, Indiana
Purdue University-Main Campus
Purdue University-Main Campus is a public institution in West Lafayette, Indiana. Graduates earn a median of $72,424 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $14,600/yr.
- $72,424
- 10-yr median earnings
- $14,600
- Avg net price / yr
- 49.9%
- Acceptance rate
- 83.1%
- 4-yr completion
The verdict
Purdue University-Main Campus pairs top-10% graduate earnings with a selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 10%
- graduate earnings, US
- 49.9%
- acceptance rate
- 83.1%
- 4-yr completion
- +19%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small
Carnegie: R1
Purdue University-Main Campus is a public institution in West Lafayette, Indiana enrolling 44,503 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release. The acceptance rate is 49.9% with an average SAT of 1,364. Graduates earn a median of $72,424 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 $14,600. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.
Data updated July 2026
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Purdue University-Main Campus
Purdue University-Main Campus operates as a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana (city: small), with a total reported enrollment of 44,503 students of which 47,246 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-Main Campus is categorized as "Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity" 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
B
College Value Score
74/100
Purdue University-Main Campus
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 A+
$72,424
10-year median graduate earnings
Net Price C
$14,600
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Graduation Rate N/A
N/A
6-year completion rate
Debt F
$19,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
85.8%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
92.7%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$14,600
After grants and scholarships
4-yr completion
83.1%
First-time, full-time bachelor's
4-year completion vs national average (40%) 83.1%
Higher is better
College ROI Quadrant - Purdue University-Main Campus vs peers
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-Main Campus 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-Main Campus: graduate earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$72,424 Top 10% higher than 90% of 5,103 US colleges
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
44,503
Total enrollment
49.9%
Acceptance rate
1,364
SAT average
83.1%
4-yr graduation rate
$72,424
10-yr median earnings
92.7%
First-year retention
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 49.9% |
| SAT Average | 1,364 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 600 – 760 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 600 – 720 |
| ACT Average | 30 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 27 – 34 |
Share of applicants admitted
Costs & Financial Aid
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $9,992 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $28,794 |
| Average Net Price | $14,600 |
Net Price by Family Income
| $0 – $30,000 | $5,098 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $6,241 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $9,438 |
| Over $110,000 | $22,742 |
13.0%
Pell Grant Rate
22.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$19,500
Median Debt
$207/mo
Monthly Payment
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
47.3%
Female
18.5%
First Generation
Outcomes
83.1%
4-Year Completion Rate
92.7%
Retention Rate
$60,838
Median Earnings (6yr)
$72,424
Median Earnings (10yr)
79.9%
Earning Over $25K
85.8%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Programs & Earnings
Top programs at Purdue University-Main Campus by graduate earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Agricultural Business and …
Agricultural Business and Management
$155,217 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$146,685 median earnings
- Engineering, Other
Engineering, Other
$140,404 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$140,205 median earnings
- Electrical, Electronics, a…
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
$137,523 median earnings
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical S…
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
$135,033 median earnings
- Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
$133,021 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$132,747 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.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Business and Management | Master's | 22 | $155,217 | - |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | 439 | $146,685 | $19,136 |
| Engineering, Other | Master's | 44 | $140,404 | - |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's | 37 | $140,205 | - |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's | 99 | $137,523 | - |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | First Professional | 147 | $135,033 | $99,174 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's | 144 | $133,021 | - |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 171 | $132,747 | $41,000 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Master's | 201 | $131,275 | $32,946 |
| Veterinary Medicine | First Professional | 78 | $123,596 | $113,597 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | Master's | 15 | $122,295 | $35,080 |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's | 297 | $121,462 | $22,875 |
| Air Transportation | Master's | 60 | $120,421 | - |
| Mechanical Engineering | Doctoral | 71 | $119,547 | - |
| Education, General | Doctoral | 22 | $118,149 | - |
Nearby Schools
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Guides & Resources
Is College Worth It?
Analyze the financial return of a degree
Debt vs. Earnings by Major
Which fields of study pay off fastest
Colleges With the Best ROI
Schools where graduates earn the most vs. cost
How to Compare Colleges
A data-driven framework for picking schools
Understanding Earnings Data
How College Scorecard measures outcomes
Community College vs. 4-Year
Compare costs, outcomes, and career paths
Related Colleges
Other public institutions in Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN
58,267 students Earn $37,186
Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
37,806 students Earn $63,742 78.2% admit
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, IN
30,828 students Earn $36,596
Ball State University
Muncie, IN
13,988 students Earn $51,833 85.5% admit
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
13,830 students Earn $55,198 76.4% admit
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN
6,188 students Earn $48,387 80.8% admit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Purdue University-Main Campus? ▼
Purdue University-Main Campus is a public institution in West Lafayette, Indiana. The acceptance rate is 49.9%. The average SAT score is 1,364. Total enrollment is 44,503 students.
How much do Purdue University-Main Campus graduates earn? ▼
Graduates of Purdue University-Main Campus earn a median of $72,424 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $60,838.
How much does Purdue University-Main Campus cost? ▼
The average net price at Purdue University-Main Campus is $14,600. In-state tuition is $9,992 and out-of-state tuition is $28,794. Median student debt at graduation is $19,500.
What is the graduation rate at Purdue University-Main Campus? ▼
Purdue University-Main Campus has a 4-year completion rate of 83.1%. The first-year retention rate is 92.7%.
Is Purdue University-Main Campus worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Purdue University-Main Campus is $19,500, while graduates earn a median of $72,424 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 27% of first-year post-graduation earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 85.8% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $207.
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.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - graduate earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
What this means for Purdue University-Main Campus
- Purdue University-Main Campus's graduates land in the 10th percentile nationally for 10-year earnings among reporting colleges.
- The average net price after aid is $14,600 - 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.