Purdue vs. Florida State vs. Florida

Should I go to Purdue University Main Campus or Florida State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Purdue or Florida State 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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Purdue University Main Campus vs. Florida State University vs. University of Florida comparison
Purdue University Main Campus Florida State University University of Florida College 4
Purdue University Main Campus Florida State University University of Florida
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Overview

 Purdue Florida State Florida
Location West Lafayette, IN Tallahassee, FL Gainesville, FL
Setting Midsize Suburban Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 52,905 43,234 54,814
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #103 #199 #74
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website purdue.edu fsu.edu ufl.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Purdue Florida State Florida
Tuition (In State) $9,718 $4,022 $4,477
Tuition (Out of State) $28,520 $16,540 $25,694
Room & Board $11,650 $12,740 $11,500
Avg Net Price $12,421 $14,903 $11,521
Avg Grant Aid $11,126 $8,731 $10,724
% Receiving Grant Aid 39% 86% 88%

Admission

 Purdue Florida State Florida
Applied 73,083 74,038 65,375
Admitted 36,763 18,793 15,707
Acceptance Rate 50.3% 25.4% 24%
Enrolled % 25.5% 31.3% 43.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.67 3.7 3.9
Typical High School Grades B+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High Very High
ACT Range 27/34 27/31 28/33
SAT Range 1190/1460 1240/1390 1300/1480
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026 Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 Purdue Florida State Florida
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

 Purdue Florida State Florida
Graduation Rate 68% 74% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,200 $51,400 $62,600
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 63% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $20,750 $15,815
Median Loan Payment $222 $214 $163

Diversity

 Purdue Florida State Florida
% Men 15% 10% 15%
% Women 10% 16% 21%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium High
HBCU No No No
% White 65% 64% 57%
% Black 3% 8% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 19% 21%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 2% 3% 3%
% International 17% 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1% 3%

Students

 Purdue Florida State Florida
% In-State 46% 83% 79%
% Out-of-State 44% 16% 15%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Purdue University Main Campus is larger than than Florida State based on total student enrollment (52,905 students vs. 43,234 students)

Purdue vs. Florida State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Purdue or Florida State?

  • Purdue University Main Campus is 141.6% more expensive to attend than Florida State for in-state tuition ($9,718.00 vs. $4,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.4% higher at Purdue than Florida State University ($28,520.00 vs. $16,540.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Main Campus than Florida State ($12,421 vs. $14,903)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 9.4% lower than costs at Florida State University ($11,650 vs. $12,740)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida State University than Purdue University Main Campus (86% vs. 39%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Purdue University Main Campus students is 27.4% larger than aid received Florida State University ($11,126 vs. $8,731)

Purdue vs. Florida State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Purdue University Main Campus (1231) is 16 points higher than at Florida State (1215)
  • Incoming Purdue students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Florida State (27)
  • Accepted freshman Florida State students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Purdue (3.67)
  • Purdue has a higher acceptance rate (50.3%) than Florida State (25.4%)

Purdue vs. Florida State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purdue or Florida State? 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 Florida State and Purdue.

  • The graduation rate at Florida State is higher than Purdue University Main Campus (74% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Purdue University Main Campus earn on average $9,800 more per year than Florida State graduates after ten years. ($61,200 vs. $51,400)
  • Florida State University students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than Purdue graduates. ($20,750 vs. $21,500)
  • Florida State graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Purdue graduates. ($214 vs. $222)
  • More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Florida State students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 63%)

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