Bachelor Programme
Finance
Finance is the largest major in Purdue's Mitch Daniels School of Business. Students learn to read financial statements, value investments, manage risk and analyse markets, in a curriculum that also draws on economics, psychology, data analysis and history. Advanced courses cover investments, corporate finance, derivatives, fixed income, FinTech, financial data analytics, venture capital and M&A. A selective Investment Banking Academy started in fall 2025, and students take part in case competitions, mentoring programmes and hands-on investment management practice. The school reports an average full-time starting salary of about US$70,000 for recent finance graduates.
University
Purdue University
Country
United States
Level
Bachelor
Field
Finance
Duration
4 years full-time
Language
English
Campus
West Lafayette
Degree
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Finance
Intake
Fall (August). Spring 2027 first-year entry is closed for many majors, so check Purdue's Closed Programs page
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 entry (Common App, US$60 non-refundable fee): the application opens 1 August 2026. Early Action (non-binding) closes 1 November 2026 and is also the deadline for merit scholarships and the John Martinson Honors College; Early Action decisions are released on 15 January 2027. Regular Decision closes 15 January 2027, with decisions by 31 March 2027. Purdue does not offer Early Decision. Purdue says admission is much more competitive for later applicants
Tuition Information
2026-27 tuition and mandatory fees at the West Lafayette campus (flat rate for 8+ credit hours, two semesters): US$11,428 for Indiana residents, US$32,230 for nonresident US students and US$35,540 for international students, who pay a separate international student tuition of US$3,310 a year on top of nonresident tuition. This major is billed at the Daniels School of Business differential rate (US$1,436 a year for Indiana residents and US$3,436 for nonresident and international students). The Bursar's 2026-27 budget adds estimated housing and food of US$16,734, books and course materials of US$1,090, transport of US$570 and miscellaneous costs of US$2,200, giving an estimated cost of attendance of about US$32,022 (resident), US$52,824 (nonresident) and US$56,134 (international). Students who fly home will have higher travel costs. Purdue has frozen main-campus tuition and mandatory fees for 14 years in a row through 2026-27, but 2027-28 rates for students entering in fall 2027 are not yet published. Purdue's Boiler Gold Grant covers tuition, fees and books for Indiana students from families earning under US$80,000, and federal aid (FAFSA) is only for US citizens and eligible non-citizens
Admission Requirements
- College: Mitch Daniels School of Business. Purdue admits students to a specific major, and applications are reviewed holistically. Factors include grades in academic core courses and in courses related to the major, the strength of the curriculum, grade trends, SAT/ACT/CLT scores, the essay and Purdue questions, activities, when you apply and space in the major. GPA is converted for reporting but is not itself used in the review
- Minimum high school preparation: 4 years of math, 4 years of English, 3 years of lab science, 3 years of social studies and 2 years of a world language (students from non-English-speaking countries do not need the language requirement). International curricula must show the equivalent, such as at least five academic passes including English, math, science and social science for GCSE/IGCSE or WAEC systems
- You apply to the Finance (pre) major. Calculus in high school is encouraged
- Testing: Purdue is 'test expected' rather than test-optional. It expects an SAT, ACT or CLT score (superscored within each test, from the last five years), but accepts applications without one in exceptional cases. In 2026, 98.3% of admitted students submitted a score
- English proficiency (applicants whose first language is not English, tests within the last two years): TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall with at least 4.0 in each section for tests from 21 January 2026 (older tests: 88 with 20 per section); IELTS Academic (including Online and Indicator) generally 6.5 with 6.0 in each band; Duolingo generally 115 with subscores of 110 or more; or SAT EBRW 600 or ACT English 26. Three years of successful study in an English-taught curriculum with B or better in English may also be considered. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission
- International applicants may need extra documents depending on their country (for example attested Standard X and XII certificates for Indian applicants) and some may be asked about their background, funding and affiliations