Application Process

PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE PROCEEDING:

  • The instructions on this page are intended for exchange students only. Exchange students are undergraduate or graduate students who have been selected by Purdue's partner universities to study at Purdue for one or two semesters.
    International students applying to Purdue for a degree program need to start at this page.  
  • Only completed online applications with all supporting documents can be processed.  Faxed, mailed, or scanned applications cannot be processed.
  • At any point prior to the deadlines, admission to certain academic programs may be closed. It is crucial that exchange students seeking admission to Computer Science, Management (Business/Economics), Engineering programs and the Purdue Polytechnic Institute ensure that fully completed applications are received by the application deadline.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

  • October 1 to begin studies in January (spring semester/calendar year applicants)
  • March 15 to begin studies in August (fall semester/academic year applicants)

ADMISSION & APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Grade Point Average (GPA): Purdue University's admission requirements extend to incoming undergraduate and graduate exchange students. Nominees for admission as exchange students must have a minimum cumulative GPA equivalent to a U.S. 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (above average grades).

An official or certified university transcript showing all university courses previously taken and their grade is required. If the transcript is not in English, it must be accompanied by a certified translation.

English Language Ability:  Purdue is required by US federal law to ensure that international students possess adequate English language ability.  Please note that this requirement only applies if English is not your native language or if the language of instruction at your home university is not English. Score results must be from a test taken within the past two years.

In order to meet this requirement Purdue generally requires international exchange students to submit one (1) of the following:

  • TOEFL Total score of 80 or higher (no section score below 20)

  • IELTS Overall score of 6.5 or higher (no section score below 6.0)

  • DET (Duolingo English Test)
    In general, applicants must have a 110 or better.
    Purdue requires the submission of DET subscores along with the overall result.

Scans of official score reports uploaded with your incoming exchange application are acceptable.

Incoming exchange students who intend to enroll as graduate students and whose native language is not English are required to provide TOEFL or IELTS results as proof of English proficiency for admission. TOEFL and IELTS scores must be no more than two years old at the time of admission by the Graduate School.

Proof of Financial Support: Evidence of financial support of $10,530 USD for one semester or $21,060 USD for two semesters must be provided.  This needs to be an original document, uploaded to your online application, including financial information that is dated no earlier than one year before your program start date. This document will also be needed later when you apply for a visa at the U.S. Consulate.

Acceptable forms of financial support include: 

  • Checking, Savings, Money Market Account Statements (must include account owner's name) or letter from the student's bank attesting to the financial savings of the sponsor
  • Certificate of Deposit (must include maturity date)
  • Scholarship Award Letter (must include award amount)
  • Student Loan Commitment (must show student is approved and should not include special conditions)
  • Government Sponsorship (must include award amount and description of coverage) 

Copy of Passport: A clear, color scan of the passport information page with photo and full legal name is required. Passports must be valid for six months past the intended enrollment dates.

Additional Application Instructions: The above documents must be in color in PDF or JPG file format and should be uploaded to the online application. Nominated students must receive a link from their home institution in order to begin the online application.

ESTIMATED SEMESTER EXPENSES 

Exchange students will be responsible for any expenses (other than tuition and fees) that are incurred during their stay at Purdue.  Approximate expenses for one semester are $10,530 USD for room & board, books, and personal expenses.

TUITION AND FEES

Tuition and fees at Purdue University, including the international student service fee, are waived in accordance with the exchange agreement between Purdue and the partner institution. Classes fees (i.e. fees associated with a specific class) are not waived.

IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS

Purdue University issues J-1 student visas to exchange students. The student's U.S. immigration document (DS-2019) will be prepared by the Office of International Students and Scholars after the exchange application has been processed. Typically, this takes 4-6 weeks. Each student will receive a notification at their Purdue email address when their DS-2019 is available, along with instructions for accessing it online.

All international students must pay the required SEVIS fee to the United States Department of Homeland Security per the instructions sent with the immigration document (DS-2019).  It is not possible to pay the SEVIS fee before receiving the DS-2019. Additional important information about the visa application process can be found in the Prepare to be WOWed guide on our webpage for accepted incoming exchange students.

ACCOMMODATION

University Residences housing:  After students have been admitted and assigned a Purdue identification number (PUID), they can apply online for University Residences accommodation. As soon as an exchange student is admitted, the Study Abroad Office sends an email explaining exactly how to apply online for housing. Note the following:

  • Click here to read more about the services of the Purdue housing office, including descriptions of the available residences.
  • Housing fees will be charged to the student's university account and can be paid by check or money order at the Bursar Office, by wire transfer, or online (there is a convenience fee of 2.75% if paid by credit card).
  • University Residences charges a $200 non-refundable housing application fee, but exchange students don't need to pay this fee until they arrive at Purdue.

Independent housing: The Study Abroad Office does not have the resources to assist exchange students in locating independent accommodation.  However, we suggest that students read about independent housing services at the Dean of Students' website.

COURSE REGISTRATION

Once an exchange student is officially admitted to Purdue, the student's file is forwarded to an academic advisor, who assists the exchange student with course registration. If there is a conflict with the student's requested courses or class schedule, the student will be notified by email. Students admitted to Purdue as undergraduates may take courses numbered from 10000 to 49999.  Courses numbered 50000 to 59999 require special permission from the department; those numbered 60000 and above are open only to exchange students who have been admitted as graduate students. 

It's very important to read the information about course selection and registration BEFORE you complete that section of the exchange student application.  This is important because the course listings for the current semester may not be posted to the Purdue website until after the deadline.  Please refer to the listings for the previous fall or spring semester.

INSURANCE

All exchange students are required to have insurance. Please click here for information on Purdue's insurance for international students as well as the minimum insurance and waiver requirements.