As of September 2024, Purdue University enrolls 4,034 mechanical engineering students: 2,914 undergraduate students, and 1,120 graduate students. That’s more undergraduates and graduate students than any other mechanical engineering school in the nation. This reflects similar unprecedented demand across Purdue University as a whole, which set record enrollment numbers despite the lowest admission rate in its history.

“As a land-grant school, it’s in our charter to open our doors wide and share our education with as many people as possible,” said Eckhard Groll, William E. and Florence E. Perry Head of Mechanical Engineering, and Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering. “That’s particularly true of mechanical engineering — the flagship school at Purdue — which has the broadest application to so many areas of business, government, and research."

Enrollment was bolstered by this year’s addition of a new Indianapolis location, as well as absorbing the only accredited Motorsports Engineering degree program in the country. All students — whether in Indianapolis, West Lafayette, or online — are taught by Purdue University Mechanical Engineering faculty.

Why this is a good thing

When prospective students are choosing between large public research institutions, what distinguishes one from another? “Purdue, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Texas A&M, Iowa State, UCF — they are all fine schools,” said Groll. “It’s tough to call one ‘better’ than another. If you go by US News and other reputation-based rankings, they always put private schools near the top; but land-grant schools have a different mission, so it’s not a fair comparison.”

“Here’s the key point: Because of its size, Purdue University can offer opportunities and resources that smaller schools just can’t offer.”

For example, Purdue offers an incredible array of student organizations. Let’s say you’re interested in robotics; you have multiple student groups to choose from (Robomaster, Vex, Lunabotics, Mars robotics, Rube Goldberg). Or what about motorsports? You could choose Baja, or Formula, or Formula Electric, or even Solar Racing. And not every school can offer the chance to build and launch your own rocket! Purdue’s SEDS chapter is the largest in the country.

When it comes to research, Purdue Mechanical Engineering has unique research facilities and scholarly expertise found nowhere else. Zucrow Labs is the largest academic propulsion lab in the world, forging the future of rockets, turbines, and energetic materials. Herrick Labs hosts the largest HVAC&R lab in academia, enabling sustainable smart building research. Maha Labs is the biggest academic hydraulics lab in America, with 15,000 square feet of fluid power research. We have a world-class faculty of highly-ranked scholars, and it’s no surprise that they conducted $55.2 million of research expenditures last year. Even undergraduates have multiple opportunities to participate early in their academic careers. Whatever field you want to study, you’ll find an expert at Purdue.

Because of Purdue’s size, we have an abundance of connections to the best employers and industry partners. The largest student-run job fair in the country happens right here, attracting more than 400 companies to campus. You’ll find Boilermakers in almost every organization in the world, and many of them come back to campus to specifically recruit Purdue mechanical engineers for internships, co-ops, and full-time jobs.

More than 43% of Purdue ME students study abroad (the average for engineering schools in the US is just 5%). Purdue offers multiple opportunities in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and more. You could study roller coasters in Ireland, or bio-inspired structures in Singapore. You could go for a week, a spring break, or even a full semester. Hundreds of students have even combined their work experiences with their global experiences, in a unique program called GEARE.

These opportunities also extend to working adults looking to boost their career with a master’s degree. Our Online Master’s in Mechanical Engineering has been ranked #1 by US News for five consecutive years. It offers the same classes with the same faculty, but with the flexibility of completing the degree from your home. Also, our Professional Master’s Program offers a focused one-year advanced degree that combines the best of engineering with the best of business and management.

Everyone finds a home at Purdue Mechanical Engineering. The National Society of Black Engineers was founded here in 1971, and the “mother chapter” at Purdue continues strong to this day. Purdue was also the first university to start a Women in Engineering program. More than a fifth of our faculty and student body are female.

“We’re very proud of our school,” said Groll. “We know demand is high for a Purdue mechanical engineering education, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer it to more people than ever before. Our faculty and staff are so dedicated to our students and their success, and our alumni are always accomplishing amazing things. It’s a great day to be a Boilermaker!”

Writer: Jared Pike, jaredpike@purdue.edu, 765-496-0374