Purdue, a large public university located in the Midwest, has a substantial population of undergraduate students. It admits about two-thirds of the students who apply. Purdue is known around the world for its excellence in STEM fields, and it boasts extremely successful alumni. The university also differs in several important ways. Purdue is a research powerhouse with selective admissions practices, and it shares some key characteristics with the Ivy League universities, although there are only a few common things.
CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and astronauts, as well as high-ranking politicians and recipients of the Turing Award and Nobel laureates, have been associated with the university. Additionally, Purdue University has consistently ranked among the top ten schools worldwide, particularly among international students. The university, founded in 1869 as a public land grant institution, has earned a stellar reputation for providing high-quality education in fields such as agriculture, technology, and science.
In this highly desirable public research institution, we will analyze what the Ivy League truly represents, whether Purdue belongs to this prestigious group, and provide some advice for getting accepted. Considering Purdue’s excellent academics, global reputation, research productivity, and influential graduates and professors, it is understandable why people question if Purdue is part of the Ivy League.
The Ivy League, although it offers an education comparable to Purdue University, is not officially recognized as an Ivy League institution.
Actually, the Ivies are the exclusive original eight, including MIT, Stanford, Duke, and Caltech, that truly merit the Ivy League designation. While numerous other universities may appear deserving of the Ivy League label, the conference has only consisted of these eight members since its inception: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, and Cornell. When the Ivy League was officially formed in 1954, it was primarily as an athletic conference, similar to the Big Ten (of which Purdue is a member). It is worth emphasizing.
Purdue differs from the Ivies in several important ways, as mentioned above. While the Ivies are all private institutions, Purdue is a public institution. Additionally, Purdue’s admissions process tends to favor students from Indiana over students from other states, making it more affordable compared to the Ivies. This also means that Purdue tends to be more affordable than the Ivies.
Purdue, unlike the Ivy League schools, tends to accept about 60% of applicants from within the state of Indiana or other countries. The acceptance rates at Purdue are low, in the single digits. Additionally, Purdue has a much larger undergraduate population, with enrollments ranging from 15,000 to 4,500, compared to the Ivy League schools.
Purdue University – Ranking, Acceptance Rate, and More
If we dig a bit deeper into the numbers, we find that the acceptance rate at Purdue University for the admissions cycle of 2021 is significantly different depending on the type of applicant. Only 14% of international applicants were accepted, while 34% of out-of-state applicants and 52% of applicants from Indiana were accepted. However, it can be deceiving to look solely at Purdue’s acceptance rate. Purdue University’s overall acceptance rate of 60% is much higher than that of the Ivy League schools, which may challenge Purdue’s rival reputation.
Some undergraduate colleges at Purdue University had acceptance rates in the single digits, even lower than the acceptance rates at some Ivy League schools.
Purdue, ranked 53rd nationally, is still a small player in the entire nation. However, this ranking places Purdue significantly behind the top 20 nationwide universities, known as the Ivies. Purdue is tied with Villanova, Santa Clara, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Ohio State, all ranked 53rd nationally. The dominant college ranking system, the US News and World Report, highly ranks Purdue in both international and national publications, making it a prestigious institution in the minds of all.
Remarkably, Purdue is ranked #25 for research on a national level according to Washington Monthly. Following closely behind prestigious institutions like Dartmouth and Brown, Washington Monthly places Purdue at #39 in the country, making it a strong contender against US News.
The Niche.Com website awards Purdue an A+ grade, recognizing it as one of the best 16 colleges in America and one of the top 15 public universities in America, with the best professors.
All of these rankings emphasize the point that Purdue is an exceptional public university with a robust standing.
Why Purdue University Is Confused As an Ivy League School
Engineering, particularly STEM disciplines, is exceptionally robust at Purdue. (And, naturally, these are closely intertwined!) The university’s global recognition and reputation as a leading research institution are the primary factors that lead to Purdue being mistaken for an Ivy League school.
Purdue’s campus devotes an entire wing called Park Discovery to research and innovation across various disciplines. In fact, its campus is home to over 400 research laboratories and a highly distinguished faculty. Purdue’s engineering programs consistently rank among the top three, five, or ten nationwide for both graduate and undergraduate studies.
Goins Edray, the President of the National Association of Mathematicians, and Alton Charles Ellis, the designer of the Golden Gate Bridge, are among the faculty members at Purdue who have conducted research and taught in the past. The faculty at Purdue includes other accomplished individuals, such as Amelia Earhart, the aviator, and Nobel laureates from various fields. They are renowned scientists and experts in their respective fields.
Not only are the faculty of Purdue the only ones who have produced astronauts, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, chief executives of massive companies such as Walgreens and McDonalds, Pulitzer Prize winners, and heads of state, as well as three recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’s highest civilian award, but they also participate in groundbreaking work in their respective fields.
Purdue University is internationally recognized as a top-notch institution, attracting a significant number of students from various countries. The university’s long-standing track record of cutting-edge research in STEM fields, coupled with its thriving community of international students and scholars, has earned Purdue a stellar reputation worldwide. However, it may come as a little surprise to many that Purdue is not part of the Ivy League. Nevertheless, the university’s esteemed alumni, faculty, and commitment to research excellence are undeniable.
How to Get Into Purdue University
Purdue, a prestigious state university, faces greater difficulty in accepting students from outside of Indiana and abroad due to its admissions process that heavily prioritizes applicants from within the state. It is worth noting that the previously mentioned acceptance rate of Purdue, standing at 60%, can be somewhat deceptive.
In order to stand out among Purdue’s huge pool of student applicants, it is necessary for students to have very competitive test scores. The average ACT score range is 33-26, and the average SAT score range is 1400-1120. Purdue indicates that successful applicants mostly earn high grades and take challenging courses, as evidenced by the average GPA range of admitted students, which is 3.5-3.9. While Purdue’s admissions statistics are not quite as perfect or superhuman as those of the Ivy League schools, they are still impressive.
Even though women have made enormous strides in excelling and entering traditionally male-dominated STEM fields at Purdue, it is likely that more women (41.4%) than men (58.6%) are still applying and succeeding.
An influential application is complemented by remarkable extracurricular activities and enthusiastic endorsements from teachers. Students are required to address two brief Purdue-specific essays, which assess their capacity to convey passion and information in a concise 100 words, in addition to the primary Common App essay. Purdue also values students’ admission essays, alongside their academic performance, test scores, and demographic information.
Recap: Purdue University Is Not an Ivy League School, However, It Is One of the Best Schools in the US
Purdue University is not an official Ivy League university; however, it excels in various fields such as sports, writing, politics, and engineering. With alumni at the forefront of diverse industries and faculty at the cutting edge of their respective fields, Purdue University is a top-ranked public university that serves as a hub for innovation, research, and STEM excellence, earning global recognition in many aspects.
Purdue is not simply an Ivy League school, but it is one of the best schools in the US. Being part of the Big Ten Conference, Purdue has much stronger athletic teams than any of the Ivy League schools. Additionally, Purdue is a much livelier and more vibrant athletic conference. So, being in the Northeast, Purdue is not in the right place at the right time.
Purdue University is increasingly attracting students from out-of-state and international students who have a passion for engaging in STEM research. It has become popular not only among students from Indiana but among students from different parts of the world. Purdue continues to strive for excellence and has established itself as a competitive and prestigious institution, especially when compared to other large public universities. Although it is not an Ivy League university, Purdue’s rankings in terms of prestige and research output are still highly regarded both in the United States and internationally.