Part of this profile was updated by AI and edited by Poets&Quants.
The Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business at Purdue University finished No. 32 on Poets&Quants’ 2026 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S. In our three methodological categories, it finished No. 26 in Admissions, No. 52 in Career Outcomes, and No. 50 in Academic Experience (based solely on our alumni survey).
The B-school’s acceptance rate for the fall 2025 incoming class was 23% and the class also reported an average SAT score of 1,397. Its six-year graduation rate is 87.4%.
In career data, 87% of Class of 2025 graduates and 85% of Class of 2024 graduates completed at least one business-specific internship before graduation. Some 94.7% of 2025 grads found jobs within three months, compared to 91.8% of 2024 grads. Average salary for the most recent graduates was $69,212, with 51% of them reporting an average signing bonus of $7,149. The top employers included Crowe LLP, Ernst & Young, PwC, Amazon, FORVIS, PepsiCo, Eli Lilly & Company, KPMG, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and Deloitte.
Much of the success of Purdue can be attributed to the B-school’s integrated degree offerings and strong emphasis on learning through real-world, hands-on experience.
PURDUE’S DEGREE OFFERINGS
Purdue students can choose from a variety of majors including Accounting, Business Analytics and Information Management, Economics, Finance, General Management, Integrated Business and Engineering, Marketing, Quantitative Business Economics, and Supply Chain and Operations Management.
“I chose (Purdue) because of the emphasis on analytics within their degrees, which I knew would give me a competitive edge in the workforce,” said an alum.
Purdue’s Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) program gives students a cohort-based path developed in partnership with Purdue’s College of Engineering. The program prepares students to make data-driven business decisions grounded in technology, math, and engineering principles, with specialized tracks in Data Analytics, Financial Engineering, Operations, or a custom focus built with an academic advisor.
IBE remains one of Daniels’ clearest examples of how Purdue leverages its engineering strength to create a business education that is more interdisciplinary than traditional undergraduate offerings.
The Daniels School’s undergraduate portfolio continues to emphasize the intersection of business and technology. Purdue says every undergraduate major is built on rigorous data analysis, logical reasoning, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication, while students can also customize their path through concentrations, minors, combined degree pathways, and an Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate.
A standout initiative is Cornerstone for Business, a customized first-year sequence that develops communication and critical-thinking skills through classic texts in political economy while giving business students a business-centered route through Purdue’s core curriculum. Daniels also uses its Office of Business Partnerships to connect companies, alumni, students, and faculty through consulting-focused experiential learning projects across business functions.
REAL-WORLD, HANDS-ON LEARNING
A majority of the degree offerings at Purdue incorporate opportunities for students to get real-world, hands-on project experience. The Daniels website highlights case competitions built around real company challenges, internships and co-ops, interdisciplinary hackathons, and company-sponsored experiential projects tied to program objectives.
In finance, for example, students can work with the Student Managed Investment Fund, compete in the Finance Management Research Challenge, and pursue the school’s new Investment Banking Academy and Purdue Finance Workshop.
Many B-schools require students to work on projects that emphasize real-world, hands-on learning. But at Purdue, these experiences go beyond just required course projects. The school’s current undergraduate messaging stresses applied learning across internships, industry partnerships, study abroad, case competitions, and student organizations.
These types of experiences and the variety of opportunities to gain hands-on, real-world experience are what make the Purdue education unique. Many alumni reported unique opportunities to apply their business knowledge and gain real-world experience.
Overall, the Daniels School of Business is best characterized by its truly integrated business degree offerings and variety of opportunities for students to engage in hands-on, real-world learning. The program is best suited for students not too keen on studying just “one” field, but rather exploring all facets that the world of business has to offer.
ALUMNI SAY
“MGMT 690: Corporate consulting experiential learning course, where students undertook a semester-long science/technology consulting project with a real client. Course experience and direct mentorship from the professor gave me a huge jump start at my post-graduate consulting job compared to my peers. As a result of my consulting competence, my company has rewarded me with incredibly unique project and networking experiences that others my age have not received. I would not have received these prestiges without the skills and knowledge acquired from Dr. John Burr’s course.”
“We worked with a local small business to help them build their brand identity, and I got to experience close to what I do now, so it was very applicable.”
“I did a summer abroad in Florence in 2019 and it was the best summer of my life. The courses were excellent (shout out to Francesca) and learning about the culture was a truly exceptional experience.”
“I am incredibly honored and pleased with my Purdue business degree. The culture of Purdue’s alumni network, and those connected to Purdue through family/children, has exceeded my expectations since graduation.”
“Purdue’s business department is unlike any other. Being at a STEM-centric university provides unique opportunities and connections you would not get at a liberal arts school. Department heads make a strong effort to provide interdisciplinary opportunities that will not just help you get a job, but excel in it.”
