Purdue University Northwest is a public campus in suburban Hammond, IN.
What could it cost?
Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.
Net price by family income
Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.
under $30k
Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.
Average net price at Purdue University Northwest fell from $10,833 (2016) to $6,079 (2023).
| Year | Net price |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $10,833 |
| 2017 | $10,605 |
| 2018 | $11,250 |
| 2019 | $11,384 |
| 2020 | $9,477 |
| 2021 | $8,732 |
| 2022 | $8,463 |
| 2023 | $6,079 |
Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.
Total cost at Purdue University Northwest has held near $15,571 from 2017 to 2024.
| Year | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $16,285 |
| 2018 | $16,949 |
| 2019 | $17,323 |
| 2020 | $17,408 |
| 2021 | $15,347 |
| 2022 | $15,746 |
| 2023 | $16,287 |
| 2024 | $15,571 |
Tuition (in-state vs out-of-state)
Skip to data tablePublished tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.
| Year | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $7,582 | $17,129 |
| 2018 | $7,691 | $17,367 |
| 2019 | $7,812 | $14,495 |
| 2020 | $7,942 | $14,734 |
| 2021 | $8,057 | $14,948 |
| 2022 | $8,174 | $15,165 |
| 2023 | $8,419 | $15,620 |
Cost, size & completion summary
Cost, size & completion
Purdue University Northwest reports tuition of $8,675 for in-state students and $16,094 for out-of-state students. Check Purdue University Northwest’s residency rules, attendance budget and aid offer. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.
At 5,671 undergrads, Purdue University Northwest is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
42.9% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Purdue University Northwest within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.
Do students finish — and what comes after?
Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.
The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.
The six-year graduation rate at Purdue University Northwest rose from 34.4% (entered 2011) to 42.9% (entered 2018).
A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.
| Year | Graduated within 6 yrs |
|---|---|
| 2011 cohort | 34.4% |
| 2012 cohort | 36.9% |
| 2013 cohort | 37.8% |
| 2014 cohort | 41.9% |
| 2015 cohort | 40.3% |
| 2016 cohort | 44.4% |
| 2017 cohort | 44% |
| 2018 cohort | 42.9% |
Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)
Historical student groupsMedian federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.
Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.
These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.
| Year | Completed | Left without degree |
|---|---|---|
| Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18) | $20,928 | $9,500 |
| Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19) | $22,250 | $10,250 |
| Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20) | $21,207 | $9,500 |
| Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21) | $21,229 | $9,002 |
Earnings after entry
Historical student groupsMedian annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.
Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.
Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.
What does the admissions record show?
Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.
Admissions snapshot & test policies
Purdue University Northwest admitted 6,235 of 8,617 applicants in Fall 2024. The 72.4% rate describes that application pool.
Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →
Admissions
In the Fall 2024 cycle, Purdue University Northwest received 8,617 applications and admitted 6,235 (72.4%), with 1,139 enrolling.
Purdue University Northwest reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Purdue University Northwest’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 450–570 and Math was 440–570 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 890–1140 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.
Check current requirements with admissions.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 450 | 510 | 570 |
| SAT Math | 440 | 510 | 570 |
| ACT Composite | 16 | 22 | 24 |
25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.
Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.
Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).
The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.
| Year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|
| Fall 2017 | 34.7% |
| Fall 2018 | 31.1% |
| Fall 2019 | 28.6% |
| Fall 2020 | 62.7% |
| Fall 2021 | 76.4% |
| Fall 2022 | 72.8% |
| Fall 2023 | 70.6% |
| Fall 2024 | 72.4% |
Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.
| Year | 25th | 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2017 | 970 | 1170 |
| Fall 2018 | 930 | 1040 |
| Fall 2019 | 980 | 1160 |
| Fall 2020 | 960 | 1150 |
| Fall 2021 | 990 | 1190 |
| Fall 2022 | 950 | 1170 |
| Fall 2023 | 920 | 1140 |
| Fall 2024 | 890 | 1140 |
The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.
| Year | 25th | 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2017 | 19 | 25 |
| Fall 2018 | 19 | 25 |
| Fall 2019 | 18 | 24 |
| Fall 2020 | 19 | 25 |
| Fall 2021 | 19 | 26 |
| Fall 2022 | 18 | 24 |
| Fall 2023 | 16 | 25 |
| Fall 2024 | 16 | 24 |
What is the campus like?
Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.
Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.
Undergraduate enrollment at Purdue University Northwest fell from 8,665 (Fall 2017) to 5,671 (Fall 2024).
| Year | Undergraduates |
|---|---|
| Fall 2017 | 8,665 |
| Fall 2018 | 8,244 |
| Fall 2019 | 7,546 |
| Fall 2020 | 7,184 |
| Fall 2021 | 6,396 |
| Fall 2022 | 6,083 |
| Fall 2023 | 5,786 |
| Fall 2024 | 5,671 |
The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.
First-year retention at Purdue University Northwest has held near 66% from Fall 2016 to Fall 2023.
| Year | Retention |
|---|---|
| Fall 2016 cohort | 68% |
| Fall 2017 cohort | 69% |
| Fall 2018 cohort | 67% |
| Fall 2019 cohort | 71% |
| Fall 2020 cohort | 60% |
| Fall 2021 cohort | 64% |
| Fall 2022 cohort | 68% |
| Fall 2023 cohort | 66% |
More about Purdue University Northwest
28.1% of Purdue University Northwest's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Purdue University Northwest as a primarily nonresidential campus — most of its 5,671 undergraduates live off campus, and 65.7% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.
Purdue University Northwest's SAT section-percentile sums are 890–1140 — their midpoint is below the IN four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Purdue University Northwest's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Why some charts are marked “key chart”
Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.
How Purdue University Northwest compares
State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.
Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.
Acceptance rate
Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS
Tuition (in-state)
Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid
Median earnings (10 yr)
Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot
Purdue University Northwest's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.
View comparison data & dates
| Metric & basis | Purdue University Northwest | Indiana median | National median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS | 72.4% | 77.2% | 76.8% |
| Tuition (in-state)Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid | $8,675 | $32,352 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot | $48,318 | $52,071 | $53,781 |
Published earnings by bachelor's field of study
For Purdue University Northwest, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.
Purdue University Northwest federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.
View 25 fields & earnings
| Bachelor's field of study (CIP category) | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $96,206 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $91,229 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $88,935 |
| Computer Science | $88,158 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $85,242 |
| Civil Engineering | $84,514 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $84,288 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $82,075 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $75,365 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $69,186 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $67,466 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $65,912 |
| Marketing | $63,333 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $57,191 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $51,349 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $49,326 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $49,224 |
| Sociology | $48,830 |
| Biology, General | $48,094 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $46,277 |
| Psychology, General | $42,322 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $39,664 |
| Behavioral Sciences | $37,956 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $34,560 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $29,630 |
These 25 fields listed for Purdue University Northwest measure earnings after completion. The $48,318 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 23 additional Purdue University Northwest fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What test-score data does Purdue University Northwest report?
Purdue University Northwest's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 890–1140 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.
What is Purdue University Northwest's acceptance rate?
72.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 6,235 admitted from 8,617 applicants.
How much does Purdue University Northwest cost?
In-state tuition is $8,675; out-of-state students pay $16,094. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What earnings data does Purdue University Northwest report?
Median earnings ten years after entry: $48,318. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.
Similar colleges in Indiana
- John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences — 82.4% admitted
- Wabash College — 63.3% admitted
- Taylor University — 73.5% admitted
- Saint Mary's College — 76% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.