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. UC Merced
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Purdue University, University of California, Merced. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | PurdueWest Lafayette, IN | UC MercedMerced, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 49.9% | 90.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1200–1480 | Not reportedUniversity of California-Merced reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | $14,60013.0% on Pell grants | $11,98358.9% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,992 in-state · $28,794 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $15,623 in-state · $49,823 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 83.1% | 68.7% |
| First-year retention | 92.7% | 82.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 13.0% | 58.9% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $72,424 | $64,368 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 | $16,144 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 21:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 44,503 | 8,372 |
| Consensus percentile | 11Lower is better | 14Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 18 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 35 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 | UC Merced |
|---|---|---|
| US News | #46 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #57 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #62 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #190 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #44 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #14 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| WSJ | #102 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #18 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #70 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #283 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
What each school is for
University of California, Merced
California students — particularly first-generation and Pell-eligible students — who want a research university education with UC faculty, small classes and a low net price, and who care more about what a degree costs and returns than about the name on it.
Biggest caution
A 68.7% six-year graduation rate is the weakest in the UC system and worth asking about by major.
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