Purdue vs CSU-FC
Purdue University-Main Campus and Colorado State University-Fort Collins stand as two prominent institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. Purdue, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, boasts a lower acceptance rate of 58% compared to Colorado State's 79% in Fort Collins, Colorado. While both universities share a strong focus on STEM fields, Purdue excels in engineering, while Colorado State shines in agricultural sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and popular majors, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
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![]() Colorado State University-Fort Collins |
![]() Purdue University-Main Campus |
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Overview |
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Location | Fort Collins, Colorado | West Lafayette, Indiana |
Campus setting | City: Midsize | City: Small |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Public | Public |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 86.0% | 91.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 89.6% | 68.8% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$50
Graduate:
$60
|
Undergraduate:
$60
Graduate:
$60
|
SAT range | 1080 - 1290 | 1190 - 1430 |
ACT range | 23 - 29 | 26 - 33 |
Students submitting SAT score | 38.0% | 62.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 17.0% | 31.0% |
Total number of applicants | 31,586 | 59,436 |
Total number of admissions given out | 28,314 | 40,898 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 5,197 | 10,278 |
Yield rate | 18.4% | 25.1% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Required | Required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Not required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price |
In state:
$27,174
Out of state:
$46,456
|
In state:
$22,812
Out of state:
$41,614
|
Average net price | $18,320 | $14,619 |
Tuition |
In state:
$9,709
Out of state:
$28,991
|
In state:
$9,718
Out of state:
$28,520
|
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$6,186
Meal plan:
$6,830
|
Room/dormitory:
$4,860
Meal plan:
$5,398
|
Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
70.0%
Average amount $10,034 |
68.0%
Average amount $7,324 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
36.0%
Average amount $5,018 |
29.0%
Average amount $5,101 |
Students taking out private loans |
7.0%
Average amount $19,976 |
7.0%
Average amount $18,535 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
24,954
Men 45.6% Women 54.4% |
37,806
Men 57.8% Women 42.2% |
Graduate students |
7,632
Men 43.7% Women 56.3% |
12,538
Men 57.5% Women 42.5% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Low
|
Out-of-state students | 34.3% | 51.2% |
International students | 4.8% | 17.8% |
Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | City: Small |
Dormitory capacity | 8,300 | 15,597 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Colorado California Texas Illinois Washington | Indiana Illinois California New Jersey Ohio |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 17:1 | 14:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Higher Learning Commission |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 69.1% | 82.7% |
Dropout rate | 18.5% | 16.0% |
Transferred out | 10.4% | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
Engineering, General (Master's Degrees)
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
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Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
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