Let's look at some numbers: in 2026, Purdue received over 55,000 applications, with around 40% of those coming from in-state students. Of those in-state applicants, about 70% were accepted, compared to around 50% of out-of-state applicants. But, what does this really mean? Is Purdue really prioritizing in-state students, or is there more to the story?
It turns out that Purdue has a need-blind admissions policy for in-state students, which means they don't consider a student's ability to pay when making admissions decisions. This might give in-state students a slight edge, but it's not the only factor at play. Out-of-state students, on the other hand, are considered on a need-aware basis, which means Purdue takes into account their financial situation when making admissions decisions.
