The largest university in the state is also its only public university ranked among the top 50 in the U.S. Purdue also named a top 10 Most Innovative University for seventh-straight year, and has 12 undergraduate programs ranked among the nation’s top 10.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is again the highest-ranked public university in Indiana, and, for the second straight year, the state’s only public institution among the nation’s top 50, according to the latest 2025 Best Colleges ranking compiled by U.S. News & World Report.
In rankings focusing primarily on undergraduate programs, released Tuesday (Sept. 24), Purdue placed No. 18 among public universities and tied for No. 46 overall among 434 national universities, while also extending its streak as one of the top 10 Most Innovative schools in the nation (No. 9) to seven consecutive years.
The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings were calculated using 17 key indicators of undergraduate academic quality for national universities. Each school’s ranking factors were calculated and compared with the mean and standard deviation values of other schools to create a normalized score.
Purdue earned high marks in reputation among peers and faculty resources and performed especially well in graduate earnings. In that category, which became an official metric in last year’s ranking cycle, Purdue placed as a top five public university in the U.S. and No. 1 in the Big Ten for producing the highest portion of graduates earning more than a high school graduate. The top ranking in this metric among the 18 Big Ten member institutions underscores the value of a Purdue degree. Purdue also earned a No. 4 ranking among public universities in faculty resources, which evaluates three factors: faculty salaries, student-faculty ratio and full-time faculty. Additionally, Purdue ranked No. 7 for co-op and internship opportunities, tied with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In the subject rankings, Purdue’s acclaimed College of Engineering maintained its No. 8 collegewide undergraduate standing, with seven departmental rankings placing among the top 10 nationally:
- Industrial engineering: No. 2
- Aeronautics and astronautics: No. 3
- Civil engineering: No. 3
- Agricultural and biological engineering: No. 4
- Mechanical engineering: No. 7
- Materials engineering: No. 10
- Computer engineering: No. 10
In the Department of Computer Science — shared between the College of Science and the College of Engineering and along with computer engineering as part of the Purdue Computes initiative — several programs earned notable rankings:
- Cybersecurity: No. 6
- Software engineering: No. 10
- Computer systems: No. 13
- Artificial intelligence: No. 20 (not ranked in 2024)
The Mitch Daniels School of Business, offering a STEM-infused, future-focused business education for the leaders and founders of tomorrow, saw an impressive 14-spot jump for the economics program inside the top 40 nationally. The Daniels School boasted three top 10 programs overall, with operations management jumping three spots into the top five:
- Operations management: No. 5
- Supply chain: No. 10
- Quantitative analysis: No. 10
“These rankings are a direct reflection of the strong and consistent efforts put forth by our dedicated faculty, staff and students over recent years,” said Patrick Wolfe, Purdue’s provost and chief academic officer. “Our declared university priorities in computing and in business are also driving steady upward progress, which we expect will continue to accelerate.”
These latest high marks from the U.S. News & World Report follow a bevy of accolades for the university over the past year:
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four 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, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 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 Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.