Tennessee vs. Purdue

Should I go to The University of Tennessee or Purdue University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Tennessee 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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The University of Tennessee vs. Purdue University Main Campus comparison
The University of Tennessee Purdue University Main Campus College 3 College 4
The University of Tennessee Purdue University Main Campus
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Overview

Tennessee Purdue
Location Knoxville, TN West Lafayette, IN
Setting Midsize City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 33,805 51,528
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #232 #101
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tennessee.edu purdue.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Tennessee Purdue
Tuition (In State) $11,332 $9,718
Tuition (Out of State) $29,522 $28,520
Room & Board $12,150 $10,030
Avg Net Price $21,880 $12,576
Avg Grant Aid $10,593 $8,950
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 48%

Admission

Tennessee Purdue
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 36,290 68,582
Admitted 24,826 36,146
Acceptance Rate 68.4% 52.7%
Enrolled % 27.6% 26.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/31 27/34
SAT Range 1170/1330 1200/1470
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

Tennessee Purdue
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

Tennessee Purdue
Graduation Rate 63% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,300 $61,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,000 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $222

Diversity

Tennessee Purdue
% Men 45% 58%
% Women 55% 42%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 65%
% Black 7% 3%
% Hispanic 3% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 17%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

Tennessee Purdue
% In-State 54% 46%
% Out-of-State 45% 44%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Purdue University Main Campus is larger than than Tennessee based on total student enrollment (51,528 students vs. 33,805 students)

Tennessee vs. Purdue Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Tennessee or Purdue?

  • The University of Tennessee is 16.6% more expensive to attend than Purdue for in-state tuition ($11,332.00 vs. $9,718.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.5% higher at Tennessee than Purdue University Main Campus ($29,522.00 vs. $28,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Main Campus than Tennessee ($12,576 vs. $21,880)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 21.1% lower than costs at The University of Tennessee ($10,030 vs. $12,150)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Tennessee than Purdue University Main Campus (88% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Tennessee students is 18.4% larger than aid received Purdue University Main Campus ($10,593 vs. $8,950)

Tennessee vs. Purdue Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Purdue University Main Campus (1231) is 17 points higher than at Tennessee (1214)
  • Incoming Purdue students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Tennessee (27)
  • Accepted freshman Purdue students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at Tennessee (3.66)
  • Tennessee has a higher acceptance rate (68.4%) than Purdue (52.7%)

Tennessee vs. Purdue Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

  • The graduation rate at Purdue is higher than The University of Tennessee (68% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Purdue University Main Campus earn on average $4,900 more per year than Tennessee graduates after ten years. ($61,200 vs. $56,300)
  • The University of Tennessee students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Purdue graduates. ($20,000 vs. $21,500)
  • Tennessee graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Purdue graduates. ($206 vs. $222)
  • More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Tennessee students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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