Purdue University jumps to No. 33 nationally and to world’s top 100 in 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings

In the latest THE rankings, Purdue surged 7 spots domestically and over 40 spots globally, and ranked No. 9 among U.S. public land-grant universities.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University is among the world’s best academic institutions, according to yet another highly regarded ranking. The 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, released Wednesday (Sept. 27), ranked Purdue the No. 33 university in the U.S. and No. 86 worldwide, up from No. 40 and No. 127 in the last round and reflecting Purdue’s rising global reputation.

Among U.S. public universities, Purdue ranked No. 14, and among public land-grant universities, Purdue ranked No. 9.

Across all universities worldwide, Purdue is the only university from Indiana among the top 100.

“What we do each day is not about any ranking, but instead rankings partially reflect what we do relative to higher education peers in the state and the country,” Purdue President Mung Chiang said. “Purdue will continue to be distinct, humble and competitive in our small steps and giant leaps. One brick higher in excellence at scale.” 

The World University Rankings are produced annually by Times Higher Education and have been compiled since 2004. This 20th edition marks the first substantial methodological update since 2011, adding new measures focused on the quality of research and patents. The rankings are based on 18 calibrated indicators that measure an institution’s performance.

“As we aspire to be a top public land-grant university, rankings such as these reflect our strong and continued progress,” said Patrick J. Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity. “Our continued rise is due entirely to the consequential work our faculty, students and graduates produce each day.” 

Additional rankings 

Purdue scored a top 10 placement among U.S. public universities and advanced five spots to No. 27 among all U.S. universities in the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University rankings in June, which included both undergraduate and graduate/research components and placed Purdue again as a top 100 university in the world as well.

The Times Higher Education rankings come just a few weeks after Purdue’s best-ever showing in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best College rankings of undergraduate programs. Purdue jumped eight spots to No. 43 overall, and moved to No. 17 among public universities, on a list of 435 ranked national universities. The university also scored a sixth consecutive top 10 Most Innovative (No. 7) ranking. Thirteen undergraduate programs were individually ranked in the top 10 nationally, with agricultural and biological engineering (No. 1 in U.S.), industrial engineering (No. 2), and aeronautics and astronautics (No. 3, historic high) earning top 3 placements.

THE’s latest rankings are consistent with a bevy of other accolades Purdue has collected in recent months, which reflect a range of ranking emphases and methodologies:

• This past July, Purdue was ranked the No. 3 most recognized public university in the U.S. and No. 10 worldwide in the Global University Visibility rankings.
• Purdue was also named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies — coming in at No. 16 overall and No. 1 in education — and the only university among Fast Company magazine’s Top 50 Most Innovative Companies.
• Earlier this month, SmartAsset recognized the university’s excellence at scale by ranking Purdue the No. 6 Best Value among public universities in the U.S. and No. 15 overall.

About Purdue University 

Purdue University is a public research institution with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top 4 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, with 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 12 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. 

Writer/Media contact: Derek Schultz, dcschultz@purdue.edu 

Source: Mung Chiang