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.
Full profileComparison tool
Purdue vs. Georgia Tech vs. UT Austin
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | PurdueWest Lafayette, IN | Georgia TechAtlanta, GA | UT AustinAustin, TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 49.9% | 14.1% | 26.6% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1200–1480 | 1370–1540 | 1250–1510 |
| Average net price | $14,60013.0% on Pell grants | $12,11613.9% on Pell grants | $19,85725.9% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,992 in-state · $28,794 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $12,058 in-state · $34,484 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,688 in-state · $44,908 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 83.1% | 94.0% | 88.9% |
| First-year retention | 92.7% | 98.1% | 96.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 13.0% | 13.9% | 25.9% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $72,424 | $102,772 | $75,121 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 | $21,672 | $20,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 18:1 | 18:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 44,503 | 18,785 | 42,855 |
| Consensus percentile | 11Lower is better | 5Lower is better | 6Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 18 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 7 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 8 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 | Georgia Tech | UT Austin |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #46 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #32 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #30 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #62 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #32 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #46 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #44 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #21 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #39 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| WSJ | #102 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #9 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #41 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #70 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #28 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #30 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #123 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #68 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
What each school is for
Georgia Institute of Technology
Students certain they want engineering, computing or quantitative business, who value measurable career outcomes over campus breadth — and Georgia residents in particular.
Biggest caution
Grading rigor is severe and well documented; GPA recovery is difficult.
Full profileUniversity of Texas at Austin
Texas residents — especially top-6% students — who want a major research university, strong business or engineering programs, and a city that hires its own graduates.
Biggest caution
42,855 undergraduates and a 18:1 ratio mean large classes and self-navigation.
Full profile