Purdue University
- Type:
- Public
- Programs:
- 4 years or more
Cost
- Cost / year
- $25,610
- Tuition & fees
- $9,992
- Avg. aid
- $10,408
- Receiving aid
- 59%
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 50%
- SAT range
- 1200–1480
- ACT range
- 27–34
Outcomes
- Graduation rate
- 83%
- Median salary
- $64,309
- 1 yr after graduation
What are the graduation rates for students at Purdue University?
Purdue reports a 65% four-year graduation rate and an 83% six-year graduation rate in the cited IPEDS reporting. These measures track the share of a defined entering group of first-time, full-time students who complete within each period; they do not describe every transfer student, part-time student, or graduate student.
The university also reports a 93% student retention rate, indicating that most students in the measured first-year group returned the following year. Graduation and retention figures are useful for assessing how often students continue and finish, but they cannot by themselves explain why an individual student leaves or takes longer. A change of major, a course sequence, a co-op, or a transfer can affect a student's timeline without being captured fully by a single university-wide rate.
What is the earning potential for graduates at Purdue University?
College Scorecard program-level figures provide a limited view of earnings one year after completion for graduates represented in its federal-aid-based data. They are reported medians for the applicable program and credential group, not a predicted salary for every Purdue graduate.
Examples in the October 2026 Scorecard figures include a one-year median of $81,749 for computer science and $73,563 for mechanical engineering. The corresponding figure for registered nursing is $57,612. In fields where graduate education is common, an early-career figure can be particularly hard to interpret: graduates who continue their education may not appear in the measured working group.
These figures should be compared only with care. They can reflect differences in occupation, location, further study, and which graduates are included; they do not subtract taxes, student debt, or living costs. A prospective student comparing majors should consider the credential level and sample behind each reported figure alongside career interests, program costs, and longer-term outcomes.
Purdue University Graduation Rate
Purdue University Retention and Employment
Purdue University Median Alumni Salary Over Time
Alumni Salary for Purdue University Degrees
Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
$56,777Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
$62,537Agricultural Business and Management
$49,121Agricultural Engineering
$63,560Agricultural Mechanization
$51,820Agricultural Production Operations
$48,121Air Transportation
$48,103Animal Sciences
$32,152Anthropology
$20,032Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$67,788Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
$44,361Biology, General
$31,579Biomedical/Medical Engineering
$62,226Business Administration, Management and Operations
$52,702Chemical Engineering
$75,967Chemistry
$40,760Civil Engineering
$66,084Communication and Media Studies
$37,574Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
$22,567Computer and Information Sciences, General
$67,558Computer Engineering
$76,843Computer Science
$81,749Computer Software and Media Applications
$35,435Design and Applied Arts
$42,205Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
$38,807Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
$25,002Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
$22,695Economics
$51,724Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
$73,421Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$65,987Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
$51,860Engineering-Related Fields
$57,870Engineering, Other
$61,803English Language and Literature, General
$27,686Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
$62,853Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services
$42,920Film/Video and Photographic Arts
$32,369Finance and Financial Management Services
$53,751Fine and Studio Arts
$20,657Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management
$21,754Food Science and Technology
$61,329Forestry
$35,961General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
$56,811Genetics
$39,698Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
$33,505Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
$31,764Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
$42,612History
$24,015Hospitality Administration/Management
$41,273Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
$29,025Industrial Engineering
$70,780Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
$61,758Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
$49,996Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$69,207Marketing
$58,334Materials Engineering
$69,257Mathematics
$43,681Mechanical Engineering
$73,563Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
$64,679Natural Resources Conservation and Research
$38,513Nuclear Engineering
$63,891Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
$35,132Plant Sciences
$32,102Political Science and Government
$34,214Public Health
$29,968Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$57,612Research and Experimental Psychology
$28,965Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
$29,852Sociology
$35,811Special Education and Teaching
$39,276Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
$26,959Statistics
$68,741Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
$39,172Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
$41,716Purdue University Graduations Per Degree
BACHELOR’S Degree
Engineering
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Engineering/Engineering-related Technologies/Technicians
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Health Professions and Related Programs
Social Sciences
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
Psychology
Mathematics and Statistics
MASTER’S Degree
Engineering
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Education
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Health Professions and Related Programs
Engineering/Engineering-related Technologies/Technicians
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Transportation and Materials Moving
Social Sciences
DOCTOR’S Degree
Engineering
Physical Sciences
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Mathematics and Statistics
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Engineering/Engineering-related Technologies/Technicians
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
Health Professions and Related Programs
Education
Social Sciences
Data last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.
