Purdue University Northwest
Hammond, IN · Public · Large suburb · PNW · PUN · Purdue Northwest
Public institution in Hammond, IN · 5,786 undergraduates · 71% acceptance rate · $48,318 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 11%Cost of attendance
- Top 12%Average net price
- Top 20%In-state tuition & fees
- Top 20%Undergraduates
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $8,463239th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,419414th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $15,620584th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $16,287207th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,229789th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $48,3181,170th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $48,439626th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 44.0%1,379th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 67.7%1,340th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 70.6%622nd most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1034877th highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 23493rd highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 5,786439th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 17.0:11,581st smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 27.7%1,318th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 20 mi (MDW)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $25
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 53 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $70,083 | $72,796 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $67,014 | $62,260 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $66,313 | $65,123 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $61,020 | $58,221 |
| Architectural Engineering Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $59,576 | — |
| Electrical Engineering Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $57,318 | $62,409 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $53,537 | $52,107 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $53,358 | $67,660 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $50,439 | — |
| Engineering-Related FieldsEngineering Technology | bachelors | $47,260 | $42,682 |
| MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $46,087 | — |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $44,551 | $36,848 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 2016source
- Athletic nickname: "Pride"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Blacksource
- Mascot: Lion (named Leo)source
- Formerly known as "Purdue University Calumet" (1946–2016)source
- Formerly known as "Purdue University North Central"source
- Formerly known as "(1946–2016)"source
- Athletic conference: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conferencesource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,280,364 (M $590,411 · W $689,953)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field (Indoor)
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Purdue University Northwest’s 5,786 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In IN
- Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN · 5,450 undergrads
- University of Southern IndianaEvansville, IN · 5,344 undergrads
- Indiana State UniversityTerre Haute, IN · 6,620 undergrads
- Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN · 4,383 undergrads
- Indiana University-South BendSouth Bend, IN · 3,807 undergrads
- Vincennes UniversityVincennes, IN · 3,739 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO · 5,801 undergrads
- Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · 5,803 undergrads
- California State University-Monterey BaySeaside, CA · 5,811 undergrads
- Albany State UniversityAlbany, GA · 5,829 undergrads
- Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI · 5,829 undergrads
- Los Angeles Film SchoolHollywood, CA · 5,833 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitepnw.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 490805)
- Compare colleges in INRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IndianaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Purdue University Fort WayneSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Purdue University Northwest vs Purdue University Fort WayneHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.