Does Purdue University have supplemental essays?

Yes. Purdue University asks for two supplemental essays in 2026-27. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 250 words or fewer.

What ACT score do you need for Purdue University?

The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 27-34 on the ACT, with a composite of 31 at the median. There is no cutoff: a quarter of the enrolled class scored below 27. Reported by Purdue University to the US Department of Education, College Scorecard release of 2026-09-17.

What GPA do you need for Purdue University?

The honest answer is that the federal data behind this page does not contain one. Colleges report their admit rate and their enrolled students' test scores to the Department of Education; they do not report a GPA distribution, so any site quoting an exact average GPA for Purdue University is either reading that college's own Common Data Set or estimating. What the reported data does say is that Purdue University admits 49.9% of applicants, and the more selective a college is, the closer to the top of the class its admitted students sit and the more the strength of your course load counts alongside the number itself.

How hard is it to get into Purdue University?

Purdue University admits 49.9% of the people who apply, which is about 1 in 2 applicants. Numbers inside the reported range put you in a real position here, and the application itself decides the rest.

Purdue University supplemental essays

Purdue University asks for two supplemental essays in 2026-27. Common App. Personal statement required (250-650 words).

That is two supplements plus the Common App personal statement: three pieces of writing in all. Early Action closes November 1, 2026 and Regular Decision closes January 15, 2027. The prompts carry this limit: 250 words or fewer. Every Purdue University prompt is printed on this page in full, with its word limit and who has to answer it, checked against the college’s own admissions page.

Every essay it asks for, with a status, in the free essay manager.

Deadlines

Purdue University application deadlines
Round	Date
Early Action	November 1, 2026
Regular Decision	January 15, 2027

Checked against admissions.purdue.edu/become-student/guide. Confirm on the college’s own page before you submit.

Every college’s early deadlines, side by side

The essays, 2026-27

Required · 250 words or fewer
How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?
Listed under the "Why Purdue?" heading, introduced by "Respond in 250 words or fewer to each of these required questions."
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Required · 250 words or fewer
Briefly discuss your reasons for choosing your major and your interest in studying at this campus location (Indianapolis or West Lafayette).
Second of the two required "Why Purdue?" questions.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt

Your Purdue University checklist

Two supplements, all required. The first deadline, Early Action, is November 1, 2026.

Common App personal statementRequired250-650 words
Supplement 1Required250 words or fewer
Supplement 2Required250 words or fewer

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Getting into Purdue University

Purdue University admits 49.9% of applicants. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1200-1480 on the SAT and 27-34 on the ACT.

About 1 in 2 applicants are admitted, at a college of 44,503 undergraduates.

Purdue University enrolled-student test score percentiles, US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026-09-17
Enrolled students	25th	Median	75th
SAT total	1200	1350	1480
SAT reading and writing	600	660	720
SAT math	600	690	760
ACT composite	27	31	34

What SAT score do you need for Purdue University?

A 1480 puts you in the top quarter of the students who enrolled, a 1350 at their midpoint, and a 1200 at the bottom quarter, meaning one in four enrolled students scored below it. The same three points on the ACT are 27, 31 and 34. A quarter of an enrolled class scoring under the 25th percentile is not a rounding error, so a score below the range is a reason to strengthen the rest of the application rather than a reason not to apply.

US Department of Education, College Scorecard (2026-09-17). Percentiles describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted. SAT totals are the reading and math bands added together, which is how every source in this market reports them and is an approximation of about 10 to 20 points, because the two sections are correlated.

What SAT score do you need for Purdue University?: Purdue University sets no minimum. Among students who enrolled, the middle 50% scored 1200-1480 on the SAT: a 1200 sits at the 25th percentile, 1350 at the median and 1480 at the 75th. A score at or above 1480 is a clear strength in the application; below 1200 it is the part of the file the rest has to make up for. These are the figures Purdue University reports to the US Department of Education, released in the College Scorecard of 2026-09-17.
What ACT score do you need for Purdue University?: The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 27-34 on the ACT, with a composite of 31 at the median. There is no cutoff: a quarter of the enrolled class scored below 27. Reported by Purdue University to the US Department of Education, College Scorecard release of 2026-09-17.
What GPA do you need for Purdue University?: The honest answer is that the federal data behind this page does not contain one. Colleges report their admit rate and their enrolled students' test scores to the Department of Education; they do not report a GPA distribution, so any site quoting an exact average GPA for Purdue University is either reading that college's own Common Data Set or estimating. What the reported data does say is that Purdue University admits 49.9% of applicants, and the more selective a college is, the closer to the top of the class its admitted students sit and the more the strength of your course load counts alongside the number itself.
How hard is it to get into Purdue University?: Purdue University admits 49.9% of the people who apply, which is about 1 in 2 applicants. Numbers inside the reported range put you in a real position here, and the application itself decides the rest.

What Purdue University costs after grant aid, by family income, from the same federal data.

Sort your whole college list into reaches, targets and likelies, or find colleges that fit your GPA and test scores. Both are free and neither needs an account.

Purdue University essay questions, answered

Does Purdue University have supplemental essays?: Yes. Purdue University asks for two supplemental essays in 2026-27. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 250 words or fewer.
How many essays do you write for Purdue University in 2026-27?: Two supplements, plus the Common App personal statement.

Schools with similar admit rates

Purdue University admits 49.9% of applicants. The colleges either side of it in our set by admit rate, most selective first, each with its own prompts and deadlines: Santa Clara University (48.0%), St. Olaf College (48.3%), Stony Brook University (SUNY) (49.0%), Rhodes College (50.3%), Providence College (50.9%), Baylor University (51.3%).