by our College Data Analytics TeamHere’s the full picture on paying for Purdue University-Main Campus, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The total cost of attendance at Purdue University-Main Campus came in between $22,567.00 to $41,369.00 depending on your residency status.
In-state students paid the lower published figure, while out-of-state students faced the higher one: about $22,567.00 in-state versus $41,369.00 for out-of-state students.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $9,992.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $12,575.00 |
| Total cost | $22,567.00 |
| That is 17% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,567.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,991.00 |
| Net price | $12,576.00 |
| That is 35% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,567.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$19,493.00 |
| Net price | $3,074.00 |
| That is 84% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $28,794.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $12,575.00 |
| Total cost | $41,369.00 |
| That is 115% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $41,369.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,991.00 |
| Net price | $31,378.00 |
| That is 63% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $41,369.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$19,493.00 |
| Net price | $21,876.00 |
| That is 14% above the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
Below, a full degree is projected forward at today’s cost. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. The loan rows amortise the projected total over a ten-year, 6.8% repayment.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $3,074.00 | $12,576.00 | $22,567.00 |
| Senior year | $3,074.00 | $12,576.00 | $22,567.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $12,296.00 | $50,304.00 | $90,268.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $4,684.00 | $19,164.00 | $34,389.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $142.00 | $579.00 | $1,039.00 |
| Total amount paid | $16,980.00 | $69,468.00 | $124,657.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $3,074.00 | $12,576.00 | $22,567.00 |
| Senior year | $3,074.00 | $12,576.00 | $22,567.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $6,148.00 | $25,152.00 | $45,134.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $2,342.00 | $9,582.00 | $17,194.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $71.00 | $289.00 | $519.00 |
| Total amount paid | $8,490.00 | $34,734.00 | $62,328.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $21,876.00 | $31,378.00 | $41,369.00 |
| Senior year | $21,876.00 | $31,378.00 | $41,369.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $87,504.00 | $125,512.00 | $165,476.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $33,336.00 | $47,816.00 | $63,040.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,007.00 | $1,444.00 | $1,904.00 |
| Total amount paid | $120,840.00 | $173,328.00 | $228,516.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $21,876.00 | $31,378.00 | $41,369.00 |
| Senior year | $21,876.00 | $31,378.00 | $41,369.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $43,752.00 | $62,756.00 | $82,738.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,668.00 | $23,908.00 | $31,520.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $503.00 | $722.00 | $952.00 |
| Total amount paid | $60,420.00 | $86,664.00 | $114,258.00 |
| See the full net-price breakdown in the net-price section. |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $14,600.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $13,945.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $4,927.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $5,925.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $8,948.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,919.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $21,130.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the Purdue University-Main Campus Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
Median graduate debt at Purdue University-Main Campus is $15,000.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,326.00 |
| 25th | $7,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $15,000.00 |
| 75th | $26,623.00 |
| 90th | $31,000.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,000.00 |
| Middle income | $13,125.00 |
| High income | $16,750.00 |
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,245.00 |
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Purdue University-Main Campus works out to $-1,905.00.
The federal default-rate tier for Purdue University-Main Campus is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.6% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Purdue University-Main Campus total $1,326,167,780.00 across 66,223 borrowers.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs including the GI Bill and Department of Defense tuition support.
| GI Bill recipients | 515 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $10,183.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 162 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $3,525.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veteran aid breakdown.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through Purdue University-Main Campus, consider the following:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.