Purdue University
Cost-conscious engineering, aviation, agriculture and technology students who want strong outcomes without needing single-digit-admit credentials.
Biggest caution
84% six-year graduation rate trails the elite tier.
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Purdue vs. RIT
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Purdue University, Rochester Institute of Technology. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | PurdueWest Lafayette, IN | RITRochester, NY |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 49.9% | 66.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1200–1480 | 1300–1460 |
| Average net price | $14,60013.0% on Pell grants | $34,90627.2% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,992 in-state · $28,794 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $59,274Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 83.1% | 69.9% |
| First-year retention | 92.7% | 88.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 13.0% | 27.2% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $72,424 | $76,571 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 | $26,778 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 13:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 44,503 | 13,215 |
| Consensus percentile | 11Lower is better | 34Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 18 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 51 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
Rankings across all sources
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Purdue | RIT |
|---|---|---|
| US News | #46 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #88 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #62 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #195 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #44 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| WSJ | #102 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #318 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #70 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #330 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
What each school is for
Rochester Institute of Technology
Hands-on technical students — especially in games, security, imaging or engineering technology — who want required co-op experience and do not have single-digit-admit credentials.
Biggest caution
A 69.9% six-year graduation rate is below what its outcomes would predict.
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