New USDA location in Indianapolis to complement Purdue agricultural research, programs

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected Indianapolis as one of five hub locations to relocate the agency’s staff and other resources from the Washington, D.C., area. The hubs were chosen based on their proximity to the agricultural community and more affordable cost of living for USDA employees, saving taxpayer dollars.

The move to Indianapolis puts USDA resources closer to Purdue University’s widely recognized agricultural research, educational and community outreach programs. Since launching its expansion in Indiana’s capital city last year, Purdue continues to increase its presence in Indianapolis, positioning the university as a catalyst for innovation and economic development.

“The outstanding strength of Purdue’s agriculture ecosystem, including the students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors and partners, along with Purdue’s strategic initiatives in Indianapolis and in One Health, present an attractive case for USDA’s new hub in Indianapolis,” said Purdue President Mung Chiang. “We are excited about this transformative opportunity for long lasting impact in our state.” 

For five consecutive years, the university’s agricultural and biological engineering graduate program has held a No. 1 spot in U.S. News and World Report’s best graduate school rankings. In 2025 QS World University Rankings recognized Purdue’s College of Agriculture as the No. 3 college of agriculture in North America and No. 6 in the world.

“A USDA hub in Indianapolis has many potential implications for Purdue, including job and internship opportunities for students and alumni and research collaboration on cutting-edge agricultural issues with wide-ranging impact,” said Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Purdue’s College of Agriculture.

The World Food Prize has also been awarded to two professors and one alumnus from Purdue’s College of Agriculture within the past 20 years.

“We are proud to welcome USDA employees to our state and look forward to working more closely with them and Purdue as well as our other stakeholders to better serve our agriculture industry,” said Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.

Karen Plaut, Purdue’s former executive vice president for research, played an instrumental role in advocating for Indianapolis to become the site of a USDA hub. Plaut also was dean of Purdue’s College of Agriculture from 2018-23.

The other four USDA hubs will be in Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City, Utah. The USDA plans to retain approximately 2,000 employees in Washington.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. 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 comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.