Purdue remains in elite company, ranking among top global 100 universities, No. 25 in U.S. in QS World University Rankings

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Led by big jumps in its reputation among employers and related employment outcomes, Purdue University’s global ranking rose to No. 88, a 15-year high, while attaining a top 25 spot in the U.S. That’s according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings released late Wednesday (June 18).

Purdue also continued its standing as a top 10 public university in the U.S., coming in at No. 9 in the QS rankings, while being named No. 7 among its Big Ten peers and topping among all universities in Indiana.

“Purdue continues to achieve excellence at scale thanks to the outstanding work by our faculty, staff and students,” said Purdue President Mung Chiang. “Placing Purdue among the top 25 in the U.S. and top 10 among U.S. public universities, the latest QS comprehensive rankings again reflect the global reputation and nationwide impact of Boilermakers.”

This also marks one of Purdue’s strongest showings since QS started its independent global rankings in 2010. Purdue is up from 32nd among U.S. institutions in 2023 and from No. 10 among U.S. public universities in 2024.  

Scores that inform the cumulative QS World University Rankings include Purdue’s upward trajectory — particularly employer reputation, employment outcomes and sustainability. Other tracked areas are academic reputation, international research network, international faculty, citations per faculty and, for the first time, international student diversity.

Driving metrics to rank among the best globally and across the U.S., Purdue:

• Jumped nine spots in employer reputation to No. 62 globally and ranked 18th in the U.S. in this category
• Ranked No. 4 for international faculty ratio among U.S. institutions
• Soared 35 spots in employment outcomes in the global rankings

The top 10 U.S. public universities in the QS rankings, in order, are: University of California, Berkeley; University of Michigan; UCLA; University of California, San Diego; University of Texas, Austin; University of Illinois; University of Washington; Penn State University; Purdue; and  University of Wisconsin, Madison.

“Purdue’s reputation and our commitment, we’re excited to boast, are most importantly reflected in our standing with prospective employers of our graduates as well as the impact they’re making in the workplace or the research laboratory,” said Purdue Provost Patrick Wolfe. “And we are delighted by these rankings’ acknowledgement of the impact of our collaborative-focused faculty and researchers in advancing our primary mission to produce quality graduates and life-improving research.”

Now in its 22nd year, the QS rankings evaluated over 8,000 institutions worldwide and published rankings for 1,501, including nearly 200 universities in the U.S.

About Purdue University 

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.