--- title: How to Use the Purdue Common Data Set description: Walk through the Purdue Common Data Set with us. You'll learn about what Purdue looks for in applicants, from GPA to essays to standardized test scores. image: https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Purdue%20How%20To.jpg --- [Think you can get into a top-10 school? Take our chance-me calculator... if you dare. 🔥](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) Personal Statement Supplemental Essays Writing Advice Example Essays Other Application Writing Sections Personal Statement Foundations [How to Write a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Brainstorming a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Personal Statement Mistakes](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-end-a-college-essay) [How to Revise a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Finding a Topic](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-choose-a-college-essay-topic) [Tone & Theme](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-requirements#college-essay-conventions) Common Application [Common Application Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) [Common Application Requirements](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [How to Write a Common App Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Common App Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) Personal Statement Examples ["Great" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Types of Supplemental Essays [Why Us](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Community Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Academic Interest Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Why This Major Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) [Extracurricular Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Supplemental Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Our College Essay Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Application Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [Writing Vulnerably](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Strengths-Based Writing](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Writing Techniques [Brainstorming a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Drafting a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-draft-a-common-app-essay) [Revising a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement ["Great" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Supplemental Essays [Why Us Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Extracurricular Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) [Academic Interest Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Community Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Why this Major Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) School-Specific Supplementals [Harvard Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/harvard-supplemental-essays) [Yale Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/yale-supplemental-essays) [Stanford Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/stanford-supplemental-essays) [USC Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/usc-supplemental-essays) [Dartmouth Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/dartmouth-supplemental-essays) [All Supplemental Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/supplementals) Activities Descriptions [Writing Activities Descriptions that Stand Out](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Admissions Office Communications [Finding Your Admissions Officers](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample#contacting-your-admissions-counselor-vs-the-admissions-office) [Emailing an Admissions Office](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) Preparation Pathways Extracurricular Activities Academic Basics Testing Admissions 101 Grade-Based Timelines [First-Year Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/first-year-timeline) [Sophomore Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/sophomore-timeline) [Junior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/junior-timeline) [Senior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) International Students [How to Apply as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Extracurriculars in Admissions [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [How to Find Authentic Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-organically-find-your-extracurricular-interests) [Basic Extracurricular Pathways](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-pathways) [Extracurricular Magnitude and Impact](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-magnitude-and-impact) [Leveling Up Your ECs](https://admitreport.com/blog/leveling-up-your-extracurriculars) [Crafting ECs by Combining Interests](https://admitreport.com/blog/craft-amazing-extracurriculars) [Passion Projects](https://admitreport.com/blog/passion-project-ideas) GPA [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [Unweighted vs. Weighted GPA](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/15ehsq5/aos_dont_want_you_to_know_this_one_weird_fact/) [Assessing Your GPA & Admissions Chances](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [Class Rank](https://admitreport.com/blog/academics-gpa) Course Work [Course Rigor](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) SAT & ACT [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Standardized Test Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean#how-do-admissions-officers-evaluate-my-test-scores) [Test-Optional Admissions](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean) AP & IB Tests [Do AP & IB Tests Matter in Admissions?](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) [When to Send Your Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) Types of Institutions [Liberal Arts College](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#liberal-arts-colleges) [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#highly-selective-private-institutions) [State University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#large-state-schools) [Community Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#community-colleges) How Applications are Reviewed [How Applications are Reviewed](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [The Job of the Admissions Officer](https://admitreport.com/blog/reading-5k-essays-in-a-top-15-admissions-office) [What is the Committee?](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications#the-third-trial-committee-recommendations) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) Navigating the application College Application Strategy College Research Building Your College List Application Materials Common Application Guide [How to Use the Common Application](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [Common Application Essay Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) Applying to International Schools [A Guide to Applying as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Our Strategy Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [How Admissions Offices Process Applications](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) College-Specific Application Guides [Harvard](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-harvard) [Stanford](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-stanford) [Yale](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-yale) [MIT](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-mit) [USC](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-usc) [See the full list](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/application-strategy) Tools & Resources [Demonstrated Interest](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-show-demonstrated-interest) [How to Use the Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-data-set) Visiting Colleges [When to Visit Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/touring-colleges#ways-to-visit-college-campuses) Resources [Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/common-data-set) [Colleges That Change Lives](https://ctcl.org/) School List Basics [How to Build the Perfect School List](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list) [Safety Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-safety-school) [Target Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-target-school) [Reach Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-reach-school) Early Decision Strategy [Early Action vs Early Decision](https://admitreport.com/blog/early-action-vs-early-decision) [How to Pick Your ED](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application) [Early Decision II](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application#what-s-the-strategy-for-ed-ii-schools) Letters of Recommendation [Teacher Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [Counselor Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college#how-to-get-the-best-letters-of-recommendation-possible) School Report [What Is a School Report?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/vz09mf/the_document_in_every_application_most_students/) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) ###### Contents Last updated March 21, 2024 Every piece we write is researched and vetted by a former admissions officer. Read about [our mission](https://admitreport.com/standards) to pull back the admissions curtain. [Blog](https://admitreport.com/blog) > [Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/common-data-set), [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/private-university) > How to Use the Purdue Common Data Set # How to Use the Purdue Common Data Set Admissions officer reviewed by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Written by [Kylie Kistner, MA](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Willamette University Admissions ###### Key Takeaway At a 68.9% acceptance rate, Purdue is a target or slight reach school for many applicants. Take note of the application evaluation criteria: Purdue admissions officers really care about your academic performance. The Purdue Common Data Set houses critical admissions data that you can use to your advantage. When you know what goes on behind the admissions curtain, you can curate an application that exceeds admissions officers’ expectations. In this post, we go through the Purdue Common Data Set so you don’t have to. We extract key details and show you how to put them into action. Let’s start with the Purdue evaluation process. ## How Purdue Evaluates Applicants — based on CDS data Purdue doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to their application evaluations. For them, it’s all about course rigor, GPA, and standardized test scores. As opposed to schools that give equal weight to those softer factors—like essays, recommendations, and personal character—Purdue wants to see that you can cut it in the classroom. At a school like Purdue, you want to make sure that your academics stack up. The rest of your application components should work toward that end by supporting your academic fit and showing narrative interest and diversity to set you apart. | Very important | Important | Considered | Not considered | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Rigor | Essay | Class rank | Interview | | GPA | Recommendations | Talent/ability | Alumni/ae relation | | Standardized test scores | Extracurriculars | Geographical residence | Religious affiliation | |   | Character/personal qualities | State residency |   | |   | First generation | Racial/ethnic status |   | |   |   | Volunteer work |   | |   |   | Work experience |   | |   |   | Level of applicant interest |   | ### Does Purdue track demonstrated interest? Yes, Purdue tracks demonstrated interest. They list demonstrated interest as a “considered” factor rather than “important” or “very important”. That means you should demonstrate your interest by opening emails, visiting campus, or engaging with virtual programming, but the higher-rated factors will be more important. ### Does Purdue care about standardized test scores? Yes. Purdue only counts three factors as very important: course rigor, GPA, and—you guessed it—test scores. Because test score are 1/3 of the very important considerations your application is being evaluated against, they matter a lot. In fact, Purdue has gone so far as to call themselves “[test flexible](https://admissions.purdue.edu/faq/)” rather than “test optional” because they prefer that students submit scores. These preferences are clear in the percentages of enrolled first-year students who submitted test scores: 62% sent in an SAT score, and 31% submitted an ACT score. While there’s likely overlap in those statistics because some students submit both scores, that’s about a cumulative rate of about 93%. If you’re applying to Purdue, you should probably submit those scores. (Not sure if your score is good enough to submit? We have a whole post on [test-optional strategy](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean).) ### Does Purdue care about essays? Yes, Purdue cares about essays. They’re an important part of your application, but they’re also not the most important part. Your GPA, course rigor, and standardized test scores take priority, but your essays are still vital. Once it’s time to apply, there’s not much you can do to change your grades, AP classes, or test scores. But you have total control over the narrative you present across your application essays. ### What GPA do I need to get into Purdue? Almost all of Purdue’s enrolled first-year students who reported class rank (96%, to be exact) were in the top half of their high school graduating classes. Another 77% were in the top quarter, and 48% were in the top tenth. Purdue admissions officers aren’t overly concerned with class rank—it’s only a “considered” factor, not an “important” one—so you shouldn’t worry too much about your class rank, but it can be helpful to see where you fall in relation to current first-year students. That said, we can also look at the GPA data to get a sense of where successful applicants are at. As you can see, the largest percentage of students are in the 3.75-3.99 range, and over 75% had a 3.5 or higher. But there’s also some flexibility across the GPA spectrum. That’s where other important factors come in: a high standardized test score may help make up for a lower GPA, or a solid essay might make up for a lack of AP humanities classes. | GPA | % of Enrolled Students | | --- | --- | | 4.0 | 9.06 | | 3.75-3.99 | 39.39 | | 3.50-3.74 | 26.63 | | 3.25-3.49 | 14.91 | | 3.00-3.24 | 6.84 | | 2.50-2.99 | 2.93 | | 2.00-2.49 | 0.22 | | 1.00-1.99 | 0.02 | ## Purdue Acceptance Rate Purdue received 59,173 applications and admitted 40,759 students—an acceptance rate of 68.9%. Compared to the single-digit acceptance rates of the Ivy League, and even the more modest acceptance rates of schools like [Tufts](https://admitreport.com/blog/tufts-common-data-set) or UMich, Purdue’s acceptance rate might make you breathe a sigh of relief. But don’t let the relatively high number lull you into a false sense of safety. It’s still important to think strategically about your application. ### Purdue Early Decision Acceptance Rate Purdue does not have Early Decision application plans. ### What’s the right application option for you? Without Early Decision, your application options are limited to Early Action and Regular Decision. Since the Purdue Common Data Set doesn’t list Early Action statistics separate from Regular Decision ones, we can’t tell if the EA acceptance rate tends to be any higher. With a standard acceptance rate of almost 70%, it’s unlikely that applying early would make a huge difference in your chances of getting in. You should therefore choose your application plan based on where Purdue falls on your school list and application timeline. ## Most popular majors at Purdue When thinking about which schools to apply to, you should look at the majors you’re interested in studying. If a school is recognized for excelling in your major, then there’s a good chance it’s a solid program to apply to. While the Purdue Common Data Set doesn’t report on major participation per se, it does report on how many degrees are awarded across different disciplines. As you can see in the chart below, Purdue is most recognized for its engineering and business marketing programs. Those fields alone account for almost 40% of degrees conferred. Continuing down the list, we can also see that Purdue is an all-around solid STEM school. Every discipline on this list, with the exception of business and marketing, is in some way related to a STEM, hard science, or social science field. | Major | Percent of Degrees Conferred | | --- | --- | | Engineering | 25.14 | | Business/marketing | 12.57 | | Computer and information sciences | 9.98 | | Engineering technologies | 7.34 | | Health professions and related programs | 6.17 | | Agriculture | 6.11 | | Social sciences | 4.82 | | Biological/life sciences | 4.45 | | Mathematics and statistics | 3.4 | | Psychology | 3.15 | With this information in hand, you can make two informed decisions: 1) you can determine whether Purdue is a great fit for you based on your academic interests, and 2) you can assess how much competition you’ll likely have based on your major when applying. ## What should you do with all this information? Being a strategic Purdue applicant means taking the Purdue Common Data Set into account when putting your application together. Because Purdue places so much emphasis on statistics like rank, GPA, and test scores, it’s crucial that you’re preparing early on. Setting yourself up for success in those areas will help you meet their baseline academic expectations. Then it’s up to your essays, extracurriculars, and recommendations to help set you apart.       ###### Liked that? Try this next. ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Power%20of%20a%20Cohesive%20College%20Application.jpg) The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/siora-photography-hgFY1mZY-Y0-unsplash.jpg) How A Selective Admissions Office Reads 50k Applications In A Season](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/15%20Personal%20Statement%20Examples.jpg) 16 Amazing Personal Statement Examples (2025 Update)](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/12%20Common%20App%20Examples.jpg) 12 Common App Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples) ### Upgrade your college journey ###### Content [Admissions Guides](https://admitreport.com/admissions-guides) [Categories](https://admitreport.com) ###### Legal [Privacy Policy](https://admitreport.com/privacy) [Terms of Use](https://admitreport.com/terms) K&S Canon, PLLC 1200 5TH Ave Ste 1950, Seattle, WA, 98101-1183, United States Copyright © 2026 McNeil Admissions ### "The only actually useful chance calculator I’ve seen—plus a crash course on the application review process." Irena Smith, Former Stanford Admissions Officer We built the best admissions chancer in the world. How is it the best? It draws from our experience in top-10 admissions offices to show you how selective admissions actually works. [Get Chanced (We Dare You)](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Kylie Kistner, MA", "url" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/author/kylie-kistner" }, "dateModified" : "2024-03-21T21:29:57.990Z", "datePublished" : "2023-03-08T22:58:37.000Z", "headline" : "How to Use the Purdue Common Data Set", "image" : [ "https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Purdue%20How%20To.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/purdue-common-data-set", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "McNeil Admissions LLC" } } ```