Purdue University Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

Established in 1869, Purdue University is a public university based in Indiana, USA. It is known for offering exceptional opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs as well as many other inclusive majors. Having achieved #6 ranking for the 2025-26 Global University Visibility rankings, #4 in the list of the most recognized U.S. universities, according to official sources, Purdue University is considered one of the best study abroad universities for international students.

It has also ranked among the 10 public and 10 private institutions, being named a "New Ivy" as per official reports. It ranks #88 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Furthermore, Purdue University's ranking was No.1 on the list of 15 safest colleges in the U.S. as of 2025, maintaining its standing among the top 200 global universities for a decade now. Some of the other notable Purdue rankings include #46 in National Universities, #18 in Top Public Schools, and #66 in Best Value Schools. Purdue University also ranked No. 4 among the top institutions in the U.S. for international enrollment. It continues to be a popular pick amongst international students due to its supportive and welcoming campus environment for students across the globe, with a range of over 200 undergraduate majors and over 160 graduate programs to choose from. Purdue is also home to the U.S.'s first Department of Computer Science (1962). 

Housing 2,700 Indian students and 265 Indian faculty members, Purdue University boasts many Indian clubs and associations to make Indian students feel at home and celebrate their culture. Some of these include ASHA for Education, Boiler Bhangra, Hindi YUVA, Indian Classical Music Association of Purdue, Purdue Aharya, Purdue Kahani, Purdue South Asian Student Alliance, etc. The largest student-run Indian cultural organization at Purdue is the ISA (Indian Student Association), which organizes events like the Diwali Show, Gabra & Raas Night, among many more. Some of the Indian-origin alumni of Purdue University include Ashish Vikram (VideoKen-CTO), Fahad Janvekar (NJM Productions - Partner), Rudra Shriram (DCM Shriram Industries Ltd. - Promoter), Rupinder Goel (Tata Communications - Globs CIO), Renu Lata Rajani (Infosys - Vice President), Nandu Ramani (Uber Technologies - Engineering Director), among many more.

There are at least three locations for Indian cuisine near the Purdue University campus, with some of the popular places being DAKSHIN, Sharma's Kitchen, and Taste of India.

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Purdue University Acceptance Rate 2025

As per the latest data provided by the university for the class of 2029, the number of applicants stood at 78,162. Moreover, of these 56,826 were Early Action applicants, whereas 21,336 were Regular Decision applicants.

According to university data for Fall 2024, the number of undergraduate applications amounted to over 78,000. However, while the number of students admitted was over 39,000, the actual enrollment count was around 11,000. This suggests that Purdue University acceptance rate is almost 50%, concluding it to be a moderately selective educational institution. Below is a comparison of the data for the sessions 2023-24 and 2024-25:

Particulars	Class of 2027	Class of 2028
Application Received	72,800	78,745
Students Admitted	36,602	39,272
Acceptance Rate	50.28%	49.87%
Students Enrolled	9,285	11,467
Yield Rate	25.4%	29.2%

Purdue University Acceptance Rate for International Students

The Purdueacceptance rate for international students is around 27.56% suggesting that admissions to Purdue University are extremely competitive. Below is the breakdown of the total applicants, admits, and enrolled international students for Fall 2024:

Particulars	Headcount
International Student Applications	15,404
International Student Admitted	4,246
International Student Enrolled	1,032
Acceptance Rate	27.56%

The campuses of West Lafayette and Indianapolis boast a total of 58,000 students, representing all 50 states and 115 countries. According to the data for the academic year 2024-25, the total number of undergraduates at the university adds up to over 44,000, with international students accounting for over 4,000.  A population-wise division for different ethnicities or races at Purdue University is given below:  

Ethnicity/Race	Headcount
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic	19
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic	42
Black or African American, non-Hispanic	1,225
Two or more races, non-Hispanic	2,118
Race and/or ethnicity unknown	2,803
Hispanic/Latino	3,341
Non-residents (International)	4,429
Asian, non-Hispanic	6,753
White, non-Hispanic	24,089
TOTAL	44,819

Purdue University Acceptance Rate Trends

The past few years have seen a significant spike in Purdue University's undergraduate applications. Since the Common Application was implemented in 2013, the number of undergraduate applications has increased by almost 97%, from 40,025 to 78,745. Thus, it can be concluded that while the number of applications has witnessed a surge in the last six years, the Purdue acceptance rate has consequently gone down as the number of students admitted has usually stayed in the range of 30-40k. The Purdue University acceptance rate has gone down from 67-69% just a few years back, to as low as the Purdue acceptance rate of 49.8%, meaning that the Purdue. Given below is a table providing data from over the years for comparative analysis: 

Academic Year	Number of  UG Applications Received	Number of Students Accepted	Purdue University Acceptance Rate
2025-26	78,162	TBA	TBA
2024-25	78,745	39,272	49.87%
2023-24	72,800	36,602	50.28%
2022-21	68,309	35,995	52.7%
2021-22	59,173	40,759	68.9%
2020-21	57,279	38,457	67.1%
2019-20	54,912	32,834	59.8%

Purdue University Early Action Vs Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

Purdue University offers its students the option to apply under both Early Action and Regular Decision, with the acceptance rate of the former being higher than the latter. According to unofficial sources, Purdue early acceptance rate is around 60% while the Regular acceptance rate is around 50%.

The deadline for the Early Action Application is November 1, while the deadline for the Regular Decision is January 15.

Purdue University Admission Requirements for International Students

With an acceptance rate of Purdue University of 49.87%, it is a rather selective university, meaning students must have an exceptional profile and make informed decisions at every step of the process. For admission as a freshman, the criteria require all applicants to have studied Mathematics and English for at least 4 years each, Lab Science and Social Studies for at least 3 years each, and lastly, World Language for 2 years. 

Some other course-specific qualifications include 3 years of Chemistry for Engineering, and 1 year of Biology and Chemistry each for Nursing, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Nursing.

According to official sources, international students or students with an international high school curriculum are to fulfill the following requirements:

• At least three consecutive years of courses with respective grades
• Proof of high school graduation and or/a high school diploma
• English Translated Official Transcript Documents.
• SAT or ACT score
• English Proficiency exam score (DET|110, IELTS|6.5, TOEFL|80-88, ACT|26, SAT| 600, etc.)
• Common Application Essay
• GRE/GMAT Score (Program-specific requirement)
• Statement of Purpose (Program-specific requirement)
• Three Recommendation Letters (Program-specific requirement)
• Personal History Statement (Program-specific requirement)
• Resume (Program-specific requirement)

Additional information for Indian students in Purdue University admissions:

(If graduated from high school):

• Attested copy of the 10th standard certificate issued by the respective exam board
• Attested copy of the 12th standard certificate issued by the respective exam board

(If still enrolled in any Indian curriculum):

• Marksheet for internal grades from years 9 to 11
• Copy of the 10th standard certificate by the respective exam board

(If enrolled in a two-year diploma program after the 10th standard):

• Attested copy of the 10th standard certificate issued by the respective exam board
• Official mark sheet of the diploma program

Students are advised to check any other prerequisites stated by the college of the applicant’s choice for a specific course.  

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Purdue University Average GPA, SAT & ACT Scores

The reported average high school GPA of the students enrolled in Purdue University for Fall 2024 has been 3.62-4.00. The SAT score (scale of 1600) averaged between 1210-1470, while the ACT composite of the enrollees reported to range between 27-34. Given below is the overview data for the enrollment in the top three competitive majors for 2024 at Purdue University:  

MAJOR	ADMIT RATE	SAT (SCALE OF 1600, MIDDLE RANGE)	ACT COMPOSITE (MIDDLE RANGE)	HIGH SCHOOL GPA (MIDDLE RANGE)
Professional Flight Technology	10.9%	1280-1440	30-34	3.88-4.00
Computer Science	35.9%	1420-1540	32-35	3.80-4.00
Nursing	24.3%	1170-1310	24.8-30	3.78-4.00

Also read : Purdue University Placements and Purdue Scholarships

Tips to get selected in Purdue University

With a Purdue acceptance rate of 49.87%, Purdue University can be termed a moderately selective institution. However, the students must perform well and consider the following pointers to improve their chances of getting selected:

• Improve GPA- Purdue University's average GPA acceptance falls between 62-4.00. Although admission decisions at Purdue are taken using a holistic approach, GPA proves to be one of the more important components to leave a good impression. Thus, students must aim for a minimum of 3.62 GPA or higher.
• SAT/ACT score- The SAT and ACT scores must align with the preferred requirement of the college chosen by the student (E.g., College of Agriculture or College of Engineering). Students are advised to do intensive research on the college they are applying to and aim to score at least 1210 on the SAT and 31 on the ACT to maximize their chances of being selected.
• Essay Quality- Students are advised to choose their essay prompt carefully and write a compelling piece mentioning their qualities and experiences. Colleges use these essays to evaluate a student's character outside the domain of academics; thus, applicants should ensure that their extracurricular participation is emphasized to help the evaluators ascertain what sets the applicant apart from the rest.
• Enhance Student Experiences- One of the important criteria for evaluation is the personal background and experiences of an applicant. Try to be an active achiever in academic coursework and extracurricular activities.
• Do Your Research- Prior to applying to the college of choice, applicants must double-check if their educational background covers the requirements. Purdue requires four years of secondary Mathematics and three years of laboratory Science for all majors. For any reason, if these courses have not been a part of one's curriculum, the University strongly encourages students to take the SAT or ACT to showcase their Math proficiency.

Purdue University Acceptance Rate Vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Acceptance Rate

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has an acceptance rate of 44%, coming close to the acceptance rate of Purdue University of 49.8%. This suggests that the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is almost on par with Purdue University for its selectiveness of First-Time, First-Year Admissions.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign requires a minimum SAT score between 1340-1530 and an ACT score between 29-34. The minimum GPA requirement is over 3.5 (on a scale of 4).

Thus, both universities record similar averages of the required scores and can be termed moderately selective, with the University of Illinois being slightly tougher to get into. An overview of the requirements for international students to get into the University of Illinois includes:

• Marksheet of the 10^th standard or the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
• Final marks in the 12^th standard
• 4-year bachelor’s degree / 3-year bachelor’s degree + 2-year master’s degree / 3-year bachelor’s degree + 1-2-year post-graduate diploma
• Proof of English proficiency