Why choose Purdue?

What is my Purdue Career Account?

Your career account will give you electronic access to your @purdue.edu email account and other electronic services. This account is created when you are admitted to Purdue and is yours to use for as long as you are affiliated with Purdue. You can store files in your career account and access them anytime, anywhere on campus. Your career account alias comprises the part of your email address before the @purdue.edu.

To Activate Your Career Account

• You need your Purdue University Identification Number (PUID), which was provided in your online admission decision letter.
• You will also need a career account set-up password. The career account set-up password was sent to you by email from the Office of Graduate Admissions after you reviewed your online admission decision letter.
• If you have not yet reviewed your online admission decision letter, please do so to receive your initial career account set-up password.
• Go to https://www.purdue.edu/apps/account/AccountSetup and use your PUID and career account set-up password to activate your account. If you have any questions regarding how to set up your career account, email gradinfo@purdue.edu.
• Purdue Indianapolis students should also activate their IU Account for resources shared with IU.

What is myPurdue?

The myPurdue portal system is where you can access your academic and financial account information. The software package is called Banner, so you may hear faculty and staff members refer to it by that name as well. You will need your career account login and BoilerKey to log in to myPurdue.

Some of the benefits of myPurdue include:

• Online course registration in real time
• Online credit card payment for tuition
• Access to your financial aid information
• Access to review and update your personal information such as emergency contacts, mailing address, email, ethnicity/race, and gender identity

Purdue Email

An @purdue.edu email account is provided to all individuals who maintain an affiliation with Purdue University. Your address will remain constant, even though your employing department or student information may change. Before you can receive emails, you must activate your email account. Be sure to check your Purdue email account regularly for important updates.

To Activate Your Purdue Email Account

1. Set up your Purdue Career Account following these instructions.
2. Go to https://outlook.office.com and log in using your @purdue.edu email address and password.
3. Set up Microsoft MFA authentication on your account.  See the instructions here: How to set up Microsoft multi-factor authentication (MFA).

If you have questions related to service settings, you can view the instructions provided by Purdue Information Technology. You may also contact the Purdue IT Service Desk by calling (765) 494-4000 or using the Purdue IT Service Portal. 

Accepting Enrollment – New Students Only

1. Activate your Purdue career account and set-up your Purdue email.
2. Log in to the myPurdue portal.
3. Click on the New Grad Student Task List link on the New Grad Student Task List card.  This card should be locked on your Home page.
4. Accept the “Agree to Terms” by clicking on Continue at the bottom of the page.
5. Click on Accept Your Offer of Admission.
6. On the Respond to your Offer of Admission page, select the appropriate program. The page will update confirming your admission choice.
7. Return to the New Grad Student Task List card to complete the remainder of the information.

Accepting Enrollment – Combined and Concurrent Degree Students

1. Log in to the online application system.
2. On the application portal, click on the appropriate application.
3. Click the “Accept/Decline Offer” button on your application status portal.
4. To accept your offer of admission, use the link to submit your enrollment response.

Declining Enrollment

1. Log in to the online application system.
2. On the status portal, click on the appropriate application.
3. Click the “Accept/Decline Offer” button on your Application Status portal
4. To decline your offer of admission, use the link to submit your enrollment response.

1. Log in to the online application system.
2. On the status portal, click on the appropriate application.
3. Click “View Admission Decision” to access your decision letter.
4. On page one of your letter, click the link “Click here to submit your response to the offer of admission.”
5. Complete and submit the form.

Welcome to Purdue University! Whether you decide to visit us in person or virtually, there are many ways to experience our West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations. Explore our commitment to providing a world-class education, see how Boilermakers are making an impact in new and exciting ways, and discover opportunities to connect and learn more.

Purdue University is proud of its hometown of West Lafayette, Indiana. West Lafayette and the neighboring city of Lafayette, collectively known as Greater Lafayette, offer a unique blend of big-city arts and entertainment with small-town charm, convenience, and affordability.

Purdue University in Indianapolis, in the state’s capital, is expanding Purdue’s mission and impact with its first-of-its-kind Hard-Tech Corridor, stretching between Indianapolis and West Lafayette. The Indianapolis location offers an abundance of family-friendly entertainment, including arts, professional sports, museums, parks, shopping, and more!

Greater Lafayette and Indianapolis Communities

The Greater Lafayette and Indianapolis areas offer a cost of living below the national average, an advantage for graduate students on a limited budget. This means you may purchase more for your money and enjoy a better standard of living compared to other areas. Visit the cost of living webpage to compare the cost of living in Indianapolis and Greater Lafayette to other university locations in the United States.

The Greater Lafayette area is filled with beautiful turn-of-the-century architecture. Lafayette’s historic downtown area is filled with antique, art, and other eclectic shops. Indianapolis offers a diverse range of shopping experiences, from several large malls to pop-up boutiques. From early May through late October, the Historic Lafayette Farmers Market fills the streets. The Original Farmers Market on Monumental Circle in downtown Indianapolis (May – September) offers a variety of flavorful fresh foods and baked goods. You won’t want to miss the various international markets for fresh cultural flavors and hand crafted goods.

Indianapolis is home to several major and minor sports teams, as well as the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Few cities can boast having three professional sports teams, as it houses arenas for the Indiana Fever (WNBA), Indiana Pacers (NBA), and Indianapolis Colts (NFL). Indianapolis is home to the world’s largest children’s museum, the Indianapolis Zoo, which features a public aquarium and botanical gardens, as well as White River State Park, among other attractions. From family-friendly festivals to cultural attractions and daily happenings, there’s always something to enjoy between classes and coursework.

The dining scenes in the Greater Lafayette area and Indianapolis offer a diverse range of cuisines, including Arabic, Cajun, French, Greek, Hawaiian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Mexican, and Russian cuisine. The nightlife is fun and inviting with pubs, clubs, and even local breweries. Whether you are looking for local music, a place to hang out with friends, or a place to dance, the nightlife offers excitement and variety.  View upcoming events and find your next evening out at www.homeofpurdue.com and https://www.visitindy.com.

Indiana is home to four distinct seasons. The climate in Indiana features a gorgeous summer, a colorful fall, a white winter, and a vibrant spring. Residents enjoy a variety of year-round cultural events, as well as numerous other activities. This combination of big city activity and small-town charm is one of the reasons Greater Lafayette and Indianapolis are consistently ranked nationally as great places to live, work, and raise a family.

Relocation

When relocating to either of Purdue University’s locations in West Lafayette or Indianapolis, Indiana, you will find that they offer more than just access to world-class academics and a dynamic campus community, but they also come with the benefit of a low cost of living. West Lafayette and Indianapolis provide affordable housing, budget-friendly transportation, and reasonably priced everyday essentials, making them an ideal destination for students. The resources below will help facilitate your relocation to the Greater Lafayette area or Indianapolis.

• Cost of Living Webpage
• University Towns – Cost of Living Comparisons
• Cost of Living Calculator
• Lafayette – West Lafayette Relocation Resources
• Indianapolis – Relocation Resources
• Indianapolis Off-Campus Housing Search
• Greater Lafayette Off-Campus Housing Search

Transportation on Campus

If you own a car, the availability of parking permits may depend on how far you live from campus. You should familiarize yourself with Purdue’s parking regulations for students.

If you do not own a car or prefer public transportation, Greater Lafayette is easily navigated using CityBus. All routes are available to Purdue students for purchase with a semester pass for only $49. Download the EZfare app to create an account and obtain your bus pass. Be sure to sign up using your Purdue email address for the discount.

Purdue Campus Transit, offered by SP PLUS (SP+) on the West Lafayette campus, is the free, new, on-campus service with routes, schedules, and on-demand offerings. Download the mobile app available from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

The Purdue Campus Connect shuttle is a free commuter shuttle for students who need to travel between the West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations. Provided by Royal Excursion, multiple round-trip options are offered daily during the week, with a reduced schedule on the weekends during the fall and spring semesters. The 50-passenger buses are ADA-compliant and include Wi-Fi, collaboration spaces, and restrooms. View the pick-up and drop-off location, as well as schedules, on the commuter shuttle website. Download the Rides2U app to reserve a seat and view when the shuttle is approaching pick-up and drop-off locations. It is available through Google Play or the App Store. Purdue students will need to create an account using their Purdue email to ensure rides are free.

Indianapolis is quite accessible for walking or bicycle riding, but it also offers a bus transit system, IndyGo, for easy and affordable navigation around the city. On campus, Purdue partners with IU Indianapolis to operate the Jagline bus at the Purdue Indianapolis location.  Students can ride the Jagline for free. Learn more about the Jagline. 

Transportation to Campus

There are many ways to travel to West Lafayette and Indianapolis, both by land and air. Check out the visitor information page for more information.

• Lafayette Limo or Reindeer Shuttle Shuttle to/from the Indianapolis International Airport
• Reindeer Shuttle to/from Chicago O’Hare Airport
• Greater Lafayette City Bus
• Purdue University Airport
• Indianapolis International Airport
• Chicago Airport System
• Amtrack
• Greyhound

Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and in its extended location, Indianapolis, Indiana. West Lafayette and its neighboring city, Lafayette, make up the Greater Lafayette community. The Greater Lafayette area and Indianapolis boast a low cost of living. This makes finding housing on a graduate stipend/paycheck easier.

Lease Cycles

• Many apartments in the Greater Lafayette and Indianapolis areas require that leases be signed 6+ months in advance of your move-in date. So, if your move-in date is in August, you may need to sign your lease in March (or sooner) to secure housing on time.
• You must verify that your move-in date is before the date that you arrive on campus. Many graduate programs require that you attend orientation (up to a week) before the first day of classes. Some leases do not start until the end of August.
  • For example, if you have orientation on August 16^th, but your lease doesn’t start until August 28^th, you will either need to secure temporary housing until your lease begins or find an apartment that can accommodate your required move-in date.

On-Campus Housing

Purdue in Indianapolis has partnered with LUX on Capitol to provide apartment-style housing for students, including graduate students, with amenities such as a fitness center, private study lounges, and a pool.

Off-Campus Housing

There are many off-campus housing options available to graduate students in the Greater Lafayette area and Indianapolis.  Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from West Lafayette. Many Lafayette apartments are less expensive than those in West Lafayette, and some are within walking distance of campus. Apartments in downtown Indianapolis are generally more expensive than those in the surrounding areas.

The Off-Campus Housing website is a one-stop resource for off-campus housing information. Below is a list of some of the resources available on this webpage. To learn more about off-campus housing options, you can also contact Ashley Darnell, Assistant Director of Off-Campus Student Services, at adarnel@purdue.edu

*Before signing a housing contract we highly recommend that you review the apartment rental scam and renter’s rights information at Purdue University Off-Campus Housing.

Housing Search Resources

Additional housing search websites include:

• boilerapartments.com
• apartments.com
• realtor.com
• Local Newspapers:
  • Exponent: purdueexponent.org
  • Journal and Courier: jconline.com 
  • IndyStar: indystar.com
  • Indianapolis Recorder: Indianapolisrecorder.com

Funding Overview

There are several funding options for Purdue graduate students to explore, including assistantships, fellowships, grants, loans, and other financial aid. Financial support for graduate students at Purdue is primarily awarded in the form of assistantships and fellowships. Over 60 percent of graduate students at the University are on assistantships. Furthermore, the Fellowship Office hosts many resources for students applying for fellowships.

Most funding decisions for assistantships are made by each individual graduate program. Some programs fund all of their graduate students, although others fund only a few or provide only partial funding support. If you have a question regarding the funding system for your graduate program, contact your graduate program coordinator.

Funding and Benefits Information

Purdue University offers a wide range of resources to help students navigate financial matters from securing funding and financial aid to understanding health insurance options. Explore the links below for detailed guidance.

• Division of Financial Aid
• Graduate Student Staff Insurance
• Benefits for Graduate Staff
• Graduate Payroll Onboarding
• Emergency Loans
• Cost of Living

As a Purdue University graduate student, you can access various programs and services designed to help you succeed in graduate school. Our staff are ready to help you achieve your goals.

Professional Development

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development provides resources, guidance, and opportunities to help students thrive at Purdue and equip them with the tools they need to succeed in their careers. Our office offers over 300 workshops each year on topics that range from mental health and well-being to managing your finances, from writing your thesis to developing your resume or curricula vitae, and from working with your mentor to becoming one.

Fellowships

The Fellowship Office can help you identify fellowship opportunities and develop the tools and strategies you need to compose successful fellowship applications, including the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Graduate Assistance

Graduate school can sometimes be challenging. The Office of Graduate Assistance is available to help support you with both personal and professional challenges that may arise during your time at Purdue University.

Graduate Recruitment and Success

The Office of Graduate Recruitment and Success (OGRS) supports efforts to recruit outstanding applicants and contribute to their success through signature programs that include a summer undergraduate research program (SROP), a visitation program (Discover Purdue), an early start summer program for new students (Graduate Bridge), and programs to support students interested in the professoriate (Preparing Future Faculty). For more information on our programs, please contact Dr. Odalys Torres-Luquis; otorresl@purdue.edu.