Why Purdue?

Purdue President Mung Chiang and Lucy Flesch, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science, celebrate with Robodog.

Be Part of an Internationally Known Program

It’s no secret that Purdue is a phenomenal place to earn your degree – in fact, American Caldwell deemed us the #1 most recognized public university in the US. With a rich history in computational science, Purdue’s computer science program consistently sits amongst US News and World Report’s and CS rankings’ top 20 programs.

Purdue CS by the Numbers

Tailor your Degree to Make it your Own

As our department grows, so do the combinations of classes you can take to curate your degree. As a Purdue student, you will gain a comprehensive foundation of fundamental material as well as pursue your preferred areas of interest. This may be through choosing one (or more) of our nine CS tracks, completing a senior capstone project in DS, or selecting specialized philosophy and psychology courses for AI.

Join Groundbreaking Research

Encouraging scientific inquiry and developing undergraduate research skills are core components of our identity as an R1 research institution and Land Grant University. Students can gain valuable, hands-on experience within one of our department’s 14 areas of research, through interdisciplinary collaborations, or in a laboratory outside of the computer science department. Curious about research but don’t know where to start? The Office of Undergraduate Research is here for you!

"Research helped me take my interest in biology and uncover a lifelong passion for exploration and discovery in computer science.”
- Simran Kadadi, CS Honors

Be More Than Just a Number

We are proud to host some of the brightest and best students in the Department of Computer Science, and care about championing initiatives that support your academic and personal success. As an incoming Boilermaker, some of these include:

The Bridge Program

Bridge is a two-week summer residential course designed for incoming CS/DS/AI freshmen with little or no programming experience. Covering 70% of CS 180 – one of your first courses you complete at Purdue – the Bridge Program will get you up to speed in programming (and make friends while you’re at it), as you prepare to begin your first semester at Purdue.

CS 180 Black/Gold

We've taken steps to ensure that you'll succeed in your first programming class. CS 180 is divided into two sections: one for students who have programming experience, and one for those who don't. You’ll learn with peers at the same level as you, and you won’t feel lost or bored.

Learning Communities

Find your fit by joining one of Purdue’s many Learning Communities within University Residences, where you’ll live amongst others who share similar academic interests, engage with faculty, experience co-curricular activities, develop professional skills, and more.

Office of Student Experience

Looking to be more involved at Purdue but don’t know where to start? Nervous about applying for internships? Feeling a bit lost and need general advice? Drop-in or schedule an appointment with our Student Affairs Team, a team passionate about empowering our students academically, socially, and professionally.

Advance to a Great Career

Simply put, our grads get jobs. Employers view the Department of Computer Science as a source of top-performing and well-prepared graduates. Because of our reputation, every year we host our own Department of Computer Science Career Fair, an event exclusive to Computer Science, Data Science and AI majors that welcomes over 40 companies from all over the country. At Purdue, we’ll connect you to diverse internship and job opportunities, from small startups to large, international companies.

Career Development

Last Updated: Aug 8, 2025 10:35 AM