Purdue value proposition continues to drive strong demand, undergrad enrollment increases

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Delivering on its land-grant commitment to affordability, accessibility and value in preparing the next generation of leaders, Purdue University saw enrollment of its incoming freshman class this fall increase 13% over fall 2025 to a near-record 10,818 students in West Lafayette (10,173) and Indianapolis (645).

At the same time, Purdue reports a record increase in four-year graduation rates, with four-year rates rising almost 5% to more than 73%, and six-year rates rising to nearly 84% (second highest ever). One-year retention rates also increased to the second best ever at just over 93%.

Overall undergraduate enrollment for Purdue’s main campus is 43,417 for the fall 2026 semester.

“Strong enrollment trends, our ongoing tuition freeze and affordability are very happily familiar themes here at Purdue,” Provost Patrick Wolfe said. “But we’re particularly excited and pleased this year to see our student success efforts paying off, including a new record of 73.2% of our students graduating within four years.”

Cherise Hall, Purdue’s senior vice provost for enrollment and student strategy, said Purdue has experienced a 46% increase in enrollment in the last decade, while in-state enrollment has risen 18% during that same time.

Ahead of the fall semester, the university received over 82,000 applications for students wanting to pursue a Purdue undergraduate degree, Hall said, a figure that has jumped 80% in 10 years. Purdue admitted 75% of all undergraduate applicants who live in Indiana — the highest percentage in five years — and less than 50% of all non-Indiana residents.

Purdue’s percentage of new beginner Indiana residents who are 21st Century Scholars jumped to 10.2%, up 2.6 percentage points from fall 2025 figures, Hall said. The statewide program offers income-eligible students from Indiana up to four years of paid tuition at an eligible Indiana university or college after they graduate from high school.

Included in the total undergraduate enrollment in West Lafayette and Indianapolis are 2,345 transfer students, of which 42% are Indiana residents, producing the highest number of Indiana-resident transfer students in five years.

The average SAT score of those accepted to Purdue’s main campus also is the highest on record at 1342, which is up from 1337 in 2025. Test scores are expected when applying to Purdue University; this year, 98% of admitted students provided a test score. Admitted students sported an average high school GPA of 3.8. Students with these credentials continue to strengthen Purdue’s four- and six-year graduation rates.

This semester’s census-day enrollment was recorded Sept. 10 for Purdue, which has experienced record demand driven by the university’s unmatched commitment among its higher education peers to a 14-year tuition freeze, along with its growing global reputation and expanding research and engagement activities.

To accommodate the strong demand for a Boilermaker education while expanding options for on-campus residences, last month Purdue opened the eight-story, 252,500-square-foot South Hall. That new residence hall, combined with the August 2025 opening of the 3rd & West apartment complex, added 1,900 beds to the university’s West Lafayette housing capacity.

Purdue systemwide enrollment

A snapshot of Purdue’s fall 2026 enrollment figures:

• Graduate enrollment for the main campus reached a record 13,344 students, an increase driven mostly by online students.
• Polytechnic statewide: 436. Purdue Polytechnic Institute degrees are offered in Anderson, Columbus, Indianapolis International Airport, Kokomo, Lafayette’s Subaru manufacturing campus, New Albany, Richmond, South Bend and Vincennes.
• Undergraduate, graduate and online enrollment reached 6,103 at Purdue Northwest and 5,724 at Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Purdue Global, the university’s accredited and affordable online solution designed for the working adult with life experience, reported enrollment of 41,096 this fall.
• Total enrollment for the Purdue system reached a record 111,047 compared with 106,649 students in 2025 and the previous record of 107,501 students in fall 2024.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a research institution ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States. More than 111,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. As a land-grant university committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free.