Purdue blazed a historic trail in computer science, still pushes the field forward

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Sixty years ago, Purdue University helped drive the emergence of computer science as an academic field of study. Today, that pioneering spirit shows no sign of abating.

Computer science is the largest and most selective undergraduate major on Purdue’s campus, with 2,405 undergraduate and 538 graduate students enrolled as of fall 2022. Within the last few years, the department has added two undergraduate majors – data science and artificial intelligence – to complement the traditional computer science degree path.

Purdue recently unveiled plans for the Purdue Computes initiative, which will provide vital strategic investments for faculty hires, artificial intelligence research and semiconductor facility upgrades. The goal: to help the computer science program consistently rank among the top 10 in the U.S. by the end of the decade.

For more on the program’s future and its history, including some of the prominent figures who played a role in the department’s development, visit The Persistent Pursuit website.

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Media contact: Brian Huchel, bhuchel@purdue.edu