IU vs. Purdue

Should I go to Indiana University Bloomington or Purdue University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IU or Purdue is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Indiana University Bloomington vs. Purdue University Main Campus comparison
Indiana University Bloomington Purdue University Main Campus College 3 College 4
Indiana University Bloomington Purdue University Main Campus
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Overview

 IU Purdue
Location Bloomington, IN West Lafayette, IN
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 45,328 50,344
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #190 #105
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iub.edu purdue.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IU Purdue
Tuition (In State) $9,913 $9,718
Tuition (Out of State) $36,932 $28,520
Room & Board $12,098 $10,030
Avg Net Price $13,191 $12,294
Avg Grant Aid $11,213 $10,778
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 56%

Admission

 IU Purdue
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 46,498 59,436
Admitted 39,543 40,898
Acceptance Rate 85% 68.8%
Enrolled % 24% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.74 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/32 26/33
SAT Range 1160/1380 1190/1430
Submit Test Scores Considered but not required Considered but not required
Application Deadline

Academics

 IU Purdue
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

 IU Purdue
Graduation Rate 72% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,200 $61,200
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $232 $222

Diversity

 IU Purdue
% Men 51% 58%
% Women 49% 42%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 65%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 5% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 11% 17%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 IU Purdue
% In-State 54% 45%
% Out-of-State 42% 45%

Campus

 IU Purdue
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Purdue University Main Campus is larger than than IU based on total student enrollment (50,344 students vs. 45,328 students)

IU vs. Purdue Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU or Purdue?

  • Indiana University Bloomington is 2% more expensive to attend than Purdue for in-state tuition ($9,913.00 vs. $9,718.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.5% higher at IU than Purdue University Main Campus ($36,932.00 vs. $28,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Main Campus than IU ($12,294 vs. $13,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 20.6% lower than costs at Indiana University Bloomington ($10,030 vs. $12,098)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Indiana University Bloomington than Purdue University Main Campus (78% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Indiana University Bloomington students is 4% larger than aid received Purdue University Main Campus ($11,213 vs. $10,778)

IU vs. Purdue Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, IU or Purdue? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Purdue or IU .

  • The average SAT score at Purdue University Main Campus (1231) is 32 points higher than at IU (1199)
  • Incoming Purdue students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at IU (27)
  • Accepted freshman IU students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at Purdue (3.67)
  • IU has a higher acceptance rate (85%) than Purdue (68.8%)

IU vs. Purdue Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU or Purdue? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Purdue and IU.

  • The graduation rate at IU is higher than Purdue University Main Campus (72% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Purdue University Main Campus earn on average $5,000 more per year than IU graduates after ten years. ($61,200 vs. $56,200)
  • Purdue University Main Campus students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than IU graduates. ($21,500 vs. $22,500)
  • Purdue graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than IU graduates. ($222 vs. $232)
  • More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 72%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/