More selective than 77% of Indiana colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $15,571. College Scorecard.
Higher than 27% of Indiana colleges we cover and 30% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 34% of Indiana colleges we cover and 35% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
PNW acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,394 applicants, Purdue University Northwest admitted 4,516 and 1,192 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1140 on the SAT or 16–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
PNW tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Indiana residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What PNW costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Purdue University Northwest took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Indiana. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $1,432 | $6,387 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $2,428 | $10,829 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $7,026 | $31,336 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $12,452 | $55,536 | 4.3 years |
| $110k+ | $13,645 | $60,857 | 4.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($48,318) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,784 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
PNW majors, earnings & careers
Purdue University Northwest offers 48 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Engineering · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Science & Math · 5
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at PNW
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $96,206 | $26,471 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $91,229 | $25,250 |
| Nursing | $88,935 | $24,552 |
| Computer Science | $88,158 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $85,242 | $25,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $84,514 | $28,250 |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $84,288 | $25,625 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $82,075 | — |
Quick list of all 48 majors
- Accounting$69,186
- Behavioral Sciences$37,956
- Biology$48,094
- Business—
- Business Administration$57,191
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$84,514
- Communications$49,326
- Computer and Information Sciences$75,365
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$88,158
- Computer Systems Analysis—
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,224
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians$84,288
- Electrical Engineering$96,206
- Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering-Related Fields$82,075
- English$34,560
- Entrepreneurship—
- Finance$65,912
- Health Sciences$46,277
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Development and Family Studies$39,664
- Human Resources$67,466
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$51,349
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$63,333
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$91,229
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$85,242
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Nursing$88,935
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$42,322
- Social Work—
- Sociology$48,830
- Software and Media Applications$29,630
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Chicago
Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,429. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 40 inches of rain a year, 27 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Lake County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Lake County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare PNW with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Indiana by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University Northwest | 72% | $6,079 | 43% | $48,318 | This school |
| Indiana State University | 81% | $10,873 | 43% | $48,387 | |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne | 84% | $13,171 | 36% | $45,872 | |
| Indiana University-Northwest | 73% | $5,130 | 37% | $43,361 | |
| Indiana University-South Bend | 84% | $8,653 | 40% | $44,947 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Purdue University Northwest would cost you $4,794 less per year than Indiana State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Purdue University Northwest, mostly from more Purdue University Northwest students living at home, which lowers its average (−$6,225).
- Indiana State University gives aided families $4,170 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Indiana resident | PNW | Indiana State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,675 | $10,258 | −$1,583 |
| Books & supplies | $598 | $1,200 | −$602 |
| Housing & meals | $9,097 | $11,483 | −$2,386 |
| Personal & travel | $4,212 | $2,380 | +$1,832 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$7,011 | −$786 | −$6,225 |
| Sticker price | $15,571 | $24,535 | −$8,964 |
| Average grants | −$9,492 | −$13,662 | +$4,170 |
| You pay | $6,079 | $10,873 | −$4,794 |
“+” means PNW costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about PNW
What is the PNW acceptance rate?
Purdue University Northwest accepts 72% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,516 of 6,394 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1140 on the SAT or 16–24 on the ACT.
How much does Purdue University Northwest cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $15,571 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $6,079 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $1,432 and families earning $110k+ pay $13,645.
How much do PNW graduates earn?
Former Purdue University Northwest students earn a median $48,318 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the PNW graduation rate?
43% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 66% return for their second year.
How long does a PNW degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Purdue University Northwest costs about $31,336 after grants ($7,026 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,318 ten years after starting, $12,784 more than high school graduates in Indiana ($35,534), so the cost is repaid in 2.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Purdue University Northwest: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-northwest (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).