Purdue service-learning programs ranked No. 2 for public universities in 2027 rankings
EPICS and other Purdue University service-learning greatly enhance the student experience, according to the 2027 U.S. News & World Report (USNWR). Purdue programs are ranked No. 2 for public universities’ service-learning programs.
Rankings are a combination of presidents, provosts and deans nominations based on awareness of a program. Universities that receive at least 10 separate nominations in one of eight categories are represented in released rankings.
“In service-learning programs …volunteering in the community is an instructional strategy — and a requirement of a student's coursework,” USNWR explained in the 2026 online ranking. “The service relates to what happens in class, and in turn, the coursework plays off of the volunteering.”
USNWR annual rankings recognize colleges and universities that offer impactful and research-backed study abroad, service-learning and other special programs connected to positive student learning and success.
In other words, everything that EPICS has accomplished since 1995.
EPICS was created in West Lafayette, Indiana, to connect real-world community needs to Purdue Engineering students as a formal part of the engineering curriculum.
Developed from three founders, with an initial class of 40 students and five projects, EPICS expanded into a compelling hands-on experience of leadership and real-world engineering for students from the first semester to the last. Projects range from on-campus changes — like bike repair stations — to water filtration systems and educational kits shipped to partners across the globe.
“By creating and implementing a formal structure for service learning within the engineering curriculum, EPICS students gain essential professional skills while learning to consider how communities will be impacted by the choices they make throughout their careers," said Chris Lombardo, director of EPICS since July 2026.
The service-learning program, which celebrated 30 years in September 2025, currently hosts over 70 active projects with around 2,000 students enrolled each academic year. Teams are vertically integrated (first-year students, sophomores, juniors and seniors can all be on one team) and must combine technical engineering skills with communication, project management and multidisciplinary teamwork to successfully deliver a project.
EPICS projects are designed to last several semesters so students can return to the same team and iterate and improve on previous deliverables while tackling new challenges community partners face.
"We are proud of what EPICS and other service-learning programs at Purdue have accomplished benefiting our numerous community project partners,” Lombardo said.
