How to Get Into Purdue: Acceptance Rate and Strategies

July 1, 2025

purdue acceptance rate

More than 11,000 freshman students entered Purdue University鈥檚 West Lafayette campus in the fall of 2024. This followed an admissions cycle where Purdue received 78,526 applications, a school record. While the overall acceptance rate has hovered around 50% in recent years, it鈥檚 quite easy to underestimate just how selective a school Purdue University truly is. In reality, getting into the university鈥檚 top-ranked engineering and computer science programs is a far more challenging endeavor, and Indiana residents tend to fare much better than out-of-staters or international students.

With so many high-quality students lining up to become Boilermakers, it鈥檚 important for applicants to possess a full understanding of what they are up against. To help, the 国产第一福利影院草草 team will present:

  • Purdue鈥檚 Class of 2028 acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
  • SAT, ACT, class rank, and GPAs of Purdue applicants
  • Admissions trends from the Class of 2028
  • The demographics of current Purdue undergraduates
  • Purdue鈥檚 yield rate
  • How Purdue鈥檚 admissions officers evaluate candidates
  • Tips for applying to Purdue University
  • Purdue’s supplemental essays
  • How to assess whether applying to Purdue is even worth the $60 application fee (for you)

Purdue University Admissions Calculator

Want to calculate your chance of getting into Purdue?

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Purdue Acceptance Rate 鈥 Class of 2028

The Purdue acceptance rate was 49.8% for the Class of 2027.

Historical Purdue acceptance rates are as follows:

Applicants Admits Acceptance Rate
Class of 2027 72,800 36,602 50.3%
Class of 2026 68,309 35,995 53%
Class of 2025 59,173 40,759 69%
Class of 2024 57,279 38,457 67%

However, it is important to note that the acceptance rates for various colleges within Purdue University vary greatly, with the College of Engineering acceptance rate being the lowest:

  • College of Agriculture: 62%
  • College of Education: 67%
  • College of Engineering: 46%
  • College of Health and Human Sciences: 53%
  • College of Liberal Arts: 57%
  • College of Pharmacy: 73%
  • College of Science: 45%
  • College of Veterinary Medicine: 32%
  • Daniels School of Business: 54%
  • Exploratory Studies: 67%
  • Polytechnic Institute: 54%

Purdue In-State vs. Out-of-State Acceptance Rate

This past cycle, in-state applicants enjoyed a twenty-three-point advantage in the admissions process:

In-State

  • Applicants: 12,235
  • Admits: 9,091
  • Acceptance Rate: 74%

Out-of-State

  • Applicants: 51,106
  • Admits: 25,935
  • Acceptance Rate: 51%

Accordingly, being an Indiana resident can provide a sizable admissions boost.

What GPA do you need to get into Purdue?

Among those enrolled in the Class of 2028, the average GPA was 3.76. The mid-50% range was 3.62-4.0. Moreover, 83% of students had a GPA that was 3.5 or higher.

Note that academic standards vary by college. For example, admits to the College of Engineering had mid-50% SAT scores of 1370-1510 and an average GPA of 3.81-4.0. College of Science admits had nearly identical credentials, with the exception of prospective Computer Science majors, who were even more impressive (1420-1540 SAT and 3.80-4.0 GPA). Alternatively, College of Education admits had mid-50% SAT scores of 1030-1210 and an average GPA of 3.39-3.89.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Purdue?

The enrolled Class of 2027 was an accomplished bunch. 47% were in the top decile of their high school class, 77% were in the top quartile, and 94% were in the top half.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Purdue?

According to Class of 2028 data, the mid-50% SAT range for enrolled freshmen was 1210-1470 while the mid-50% ACT range was 27-34. This is a tad higher than the previous year, when the mid-50% was 1210-1450 and 27-34, respectively.

Admissions Trends & Notes 鈥 Class of 2028

  • Last year, Purdue phased out their test-optional policy and began requiring SAT/ACT scores again.
  • The overall number of applications increased from 73,000+ for the Class of 2027 to over 78,000 for the Class of 2028.
  • The acceptance rate has dropped nearly twenty points over the past five years.
  • The most competitive majors for the Class of 2028 were: Professional Flight Technology (10.9% acceptance rate), Computer Science (35.9% acceptance rate), and Nursing (24.3% acceptance rate).
  • The College of Engineering received its highest number of applications in the 2024-25 cycle鈥攐ver 28,000. In a recent year, it also enrolled its highest number of women (35%) and underrepresented minority students (19%).

Who Gets Into Purdue University鈥擶est Lafayette?

Let鈥檚 look at the demographics of Purdue undergraduates:

Purdue freshmen hailed in fairly equal numbers from the state of Indiana and other states in the U.S.:

  • From Indiana: 41%
  • Out-of-State: 50%
  • International: 9%

In a recent year, the ethnic identity of the Boilermaker undergraduate student body was as follows:

  • Asian American: 17%
  • Hispanic: 8%
  • Black or African American: 3%
  • International: 8%
  • White: 55%
  • Two or more races: 7%

International undergraduate students hail from 125 countries. In a recent year, the greatest representation was from the following nations:

  • China
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Vietnam

The breakdown by gender of the Class of 2027 shows a heavier concentration of male students:

  • Male: 60%
  • Female: 39%

With so many more male students at Purdue, female applicants do enjoy an advantage in the admissions process. For the Class of 2027 applicants, women were admitted at a 55% clip compared to a 45% figure for men.

Purdue鈥檚 Yield Rate

Purdue鈥檚 yield rate鈥攖he percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted was 25% for the Class of 2027. This is lower than some other popular public institutions like UT-Austin, Georgia Tech, and Ohio State.

How Purdue Rates Applicants

There are only three factors that Purdue ranks as being 鈥渧ery important鈥 to their admissions process and those are: an applicant鈥檚 GPA, appplication essay, and the rigor of one鈥檚 secondary school record. Five factors are designated as 鈥渋mportant鈥 to the Purdue evaluation process. Those are: standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, first-generation status, and character/personal qualities.

In the admissions office鈥檚 own words:

  • 鈥淎dmission to Purdue is based on a holistic evaluation of each student鈥檚 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.鈥
  • 鈥淵ou can use our Freshman Class Profile Page to see 鈥渕iddle 50%鈥 ranges for GPAs and SAT or ACT tests. However, these ranges represent the entire freshman class 鈥 the middle 50% for individual majors may be higher or lower based on space availability or the rigor of the program’s curriculum.鈥

Tips for Applying to Purdue University鈥擶est Lafayette

If you plan on joining the 70,000+ 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 鈥demonstrated interest鈥 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,.
  • Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the two supplemental essay prompts that you must address. They are as follows:
  1. How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom? (250 words)
  2. Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (250 words)
  3. For applicants who select an alternative major: Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the alternate major you have selected. (250 words)聽

For a detailed look at how to tackle these essays, visit our blog entitled: Purdue Supplemental Essays鈥擯rompts and Advice.

Should I apply to Purdue?

Purdue students generally sport A-/B+ averages in a rigorous high school program and possess average standardized test scores above the 90th percentile of all test-takers. For prospective engineering/CS students, virtually all A鈥檚 and standardized test scores above the 95th percentile are recommended.

Purdue University Acceptance Rate 2025 – Final Thoughts

Even if your academic profile is a good fit for Purdue, all college-bound high school students should formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of 鈥渢arget鈥 and 鈥渟afety鈥 schools. This can be done in collaboration with an admissions professional who is aware of the latest trends and strategies associated with your prospective colleges.

Ready to start working on your applications? Consider checking out the following: