IU Northwest vs. Purdue

Should I go to Indiana University Northwest or Purdue University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IU Northwest or Purdue is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Indiana University Northwest vs. Purdue University Main Campus comparison
Indiana University Northwest Purdue University Main Campus College 3 College 4
Indiana University Northwest Purdue University Main Campus
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Overview

 IU Northwest Purdue
Location Gary, IN West Lafayette, IN
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 3,198 51,528
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #882 #101
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iun.edu purdue.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IU Northwest Purdue
Tuition (In State) $7,274 $9,718
Tuition (Out of State) $20,634 $28,520
Room & Board $9,412 $10,030
Avg Net Price $6,553 $12,576
Avg Grant Aid $8,754 $8,950
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 48%

Admission

 IU Northwest Purdue
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,915 68,582
Admitted 1,538 36,146
Acceptance Rate 80.3% 52.7%
Enrolled % 27.3% 26.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.14 3.67
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/25 27/34
SAT Range 950/1170 1200/1470
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

 IU Northwest Purdue
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

 IU Northwest Purdue
Graduation Rate 23% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,500 $61,200
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,030 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $222

Diversity

 IU Northwest Purdue
% Men 25% 58%
% Women 75% 42%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 55% 65%
% Black 18% 3%
% Hispanic 20% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 17%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 IU Northwest Purdue
% In-State 97% 46%
% Out-of-State 2% 44%

Campus

 IU Northwest Purdue
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Purdue University Main Campus is larger than than IU Northwest based on total student enrollment (51,528 students vs. 3,198 students)

IU Northwest vs. Purdue Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU Northwest or Purdue?

  • Purdue University Main Campus is 33.6% more expensive to attend than IU Northwest for in-state tuition ($9,718.00 vs. $7,274.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.2% higher at Purdue than Indiana University Northwest ($28,520.00 vs. $20,634.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Northwest than Purdue ($6,553 vs. $12,576)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Northwest are 6.6% lower than costs at Purdue University Main Campus ($9,412 vs. $10,030)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Indiana University Northwest than Purdue University Main Campus (80% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Purdue University Main Campus students is 2.2% larger than aid received Indiana University Northwest ($8,950 vs. $8,754)

IU Northwest vs. Purdue Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, IU Northwest or Purdue? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Purdue or IU Northwest .

  • The average SAT score at Purdue University Main Campus (1231) is 303 points higher than at IU Northwest (928)
  • Incoming Purdue students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at IU Northwest (20)
  • Accepted freshman Purdue students have a 0.53 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at IU Northwest (3.14)
  • IU Northwest has a higher acceptance rate (80.3%) than Purdue (52.7%)

IU Northwest vs. Purdue Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU Northwest or Purdue? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Purdue and IU Northwest.

  • The graduation rate at Purdue is higher than Indiana University Northwest (68% vs. 23%)
  • Graduates from Purdue University Main Campus earn on average $21,700 more per year than IU Northwest graduates after ten years. ($61,200 vs. $39,500)
  • Purdue University Main Campus students graduate with a $3,530 lower median federal student loan debt than IU Northwest graduates. ($21,500 vs. $25,030)
  • Purdue graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than IU Northwest graduates. ($222 vs. $258)
  • More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU Northwest students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 33%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/