Purdue University - Main Campus

Based on an immense 2,468-acre urban campus in West Lafayette near the western bank of the Wabash River as the primary flagship campus in the university system, Purdue University is Indiana's land-grant public institution with nationally renowned research initiatives. Home to more than 39,500 students, Purdue enrolls the second largest study body of any higher education institution in Indiana as well as the fourth largest international student population of any university in the entire nation. Expending around $472 million in support of research system-wide, Purdue University is designated as a research institution with very high research activity by the prestigious Carnegie Foundation.

Founded in 1869 when the Indiana General Assembly took advantage of the Morrill Act, Purdue University was created from a $150,000 gift from Lafayette businessman and philanthropist John Purdue. When classes began at Purdue in 1874, there were a total of just five campus buildings, six instructors, and 39 students. As the university began expanding, Purdue devoted its resources towards providing a liberal education with an emphasis on science, technology, and agriculture. By 1925, Purdue had the largest undergraduate engineering enrollment in the nation and kept this status for over half a century. In more recent years, Purdue has continued to support high-tech research and international programs to become a truly global institution.

Renowned for being an elite university, Purdue University is currently ranked as the 68th best college, 24th top public school, and 10th best up-and-coming university in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report. According to the Academic Rankings of World Universities, Purdue is also recognized as the 61st best university on the globe. Accredited by the North Central Association (NCA), Purdue offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in over 211 major areas of study. Nicknamed the "Cradle of Astronauts," Purdue is best known for its influential spaceflight technology programs that have produced 23 famous astronauts, including Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan.

Along with hosting the nation's third largest Greek community of over 5,000 students in the 46 fraternities and 29 sororities, Purdue has more than 900 active student organizations that cover a variety of interests. Each year, Purdue University hosts the well-known Boiler Gold Rush, Spring Fest, Entomology Bug Bowl, and the 50-mile Purdue Grand Prix go-kart race. As a founding member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference, the Purdue Boilermakers have 18 varsity teams in basketball, football, cross country, tennis, wrestling, golf, and more.