Purdue lands in global top 10 of interdisciplinary sciences rankings

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University, which has maintained a strategic focus on research combined with years of commitment in people and facilities, ranks No. 10 globally for research excellence in the 2026 Interdisciplinary Science Rankings report released Thursday (Nov. 20) by Times Higher Education.

In addition to its top 10 worldwide standing, Purdue was atop the Big Ten and No. 3 among U.S. public universities in THE’s 2026 edition of its Interdisciplinary Science Rankings. The rankings examined 911 institutions from 94 countries and territories and 38 universities in the U.S.

“Purdue’s global reputation is reflected in years of growing research expenditures, eclipsing $1 billion for the first time ever this year,” said Purdue Provost Patrick Wolfe. “As we continue to pursue with vigor our goal of becoming one of the top five public U.S. research universities, we will relentlessly focus on our growing role as a national leader in critical interdisciplinary areas such as quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, drug discovery, and physical artificial intelligence and robotics.”

The U.S. universities joining Purdue in this year’s THE top 10 listing include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1; Stanford University, 2; California Institute of Technology, 3; University of California-Berkeley, 4; Duke University, 6; and Georgia Tech University, 7.

Purdue’s Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District, a unit managed by the university’s Office of Research, includes 14 interdisciplinary research organizations that pursue discovery, learning and the translation of innovation.

“Fittingly, this exciting global recognition comes on the heels of our 20th anniversary celebration of the Discovery Park District at Purdue, our university’s most strategic commitment to the value of researchers from different disciplines coming together to address society’s great challenges,” said Dan DeLaurentis, Purdue executive vice president for research. “Through the amazing research that is happening daily at some of the nation’s most advanced research facilities, such as the Birck Nanotechnology and Bindley Bioscience centers, we are vigorously tackling society’s greatest challenges in STEM-driver areas like health, technology and advanced manufacturing.”

In THE’s report, Purdue was recognized for its bolstering of support for interdisciplinary teams and integrated interdisciplinary science research outcomes — from funding leverage and teaching innovation to publication quality and visibility.

“By embedding interdisciplinarity in budgets, buildings and partnerships for more than 20 years, Purdue has ensured that interdisciplinary research is not bolted on but built in,” the THE report states. “The result is a resilient ecosystem that combines disciplinary excellence with applied impact, producing innovations that range from cancer therapies to climate adaptation while preparing students to thrive in collaborative science.”

The Times Higher Education’s Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, a joint project with Schmidt Science Fellows, measured university performance in three areas: inputs (funding); process (measures of success, facilities, administrative support and promotion); and outputs (publications, research quality and reputation). Science disciplines are defined according to THE’s mapping guide of 11 subjects and include physical sciences, life sciences, engineering and computer science.

The latest recognition from Times Higher Education is the among several impressive accolades Purdue has received the past year:

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 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations 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 integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.