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1869

Founded

59,034

Students

41

Programmes to choose from

Overview

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in Indiana, US, with its main campus in West Lafayette, and an urban campus in Indianapolis. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture; the first classes were held on September 16, 1874. Purdue's West Lafayette campus remains the flagship campus of the Purdue University system, while Purdue University in Indianapolis was launched on July 1, 2024.

Purdue University is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities, Very high research activity". Purdue enrolls the largest student body of any individual university campus in Indiana, as well as the ninth-largest foreign student population of any university in the United States. The university is home to the world's oldest computer science degree-granting department and the first university-owned airport in the United States.

Memberships & networks

  • Orbital Reef University Advisory Council
  • arXiv
  • Association of American Universities
  • American Council on Education

Programme-level accreditation varies; we confirm recognition for your home country before you apply.

From the university

Leadership, vision and recognition

A message from the leadership

President Chiang describes Purdue as a leading land-grant university committed to access and student success across backgrounds, open inquiry and continued momentum on value and affordability.

Dr Mung Chiang

President

Vision & mission

Higher education at the highest proven value, grounded in Purdue's land-grant mission of teaching, research and engagement.

Accreditation & recognition

  • Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1913; 10-year reaffirmation, next review 2029–30

Key facts

Founded

1869

Type

Public research university

Location

West Lafayette, United States

Students

59,034

Reported 2021

Academic staff

11,369

Reported 2020

Programmes with us

41

Programmes

41 programmes to choose from

Health & Life Sciences · Computing & Technology · Engineering · Business & Management

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Fees & entry

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Location

West Lafayette

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Useful links

Overview text adapted from Wikipedia (Purdue University), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Abhijitsathe, CC BY 3.0