The Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business at Purdue University finished No. 36 on Poets&Quants’ 2025 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S. In our three methodological categories, it finished No. 33 in Admission Standards, No. 48 in Career Outcomes, and No. 49 in Academic Experience (based solely on our alumni survey).
The B-school’s acceptance rate for the fall 2024 incoming class was 20% and the class also reported an average SAT score of 1383. Its six-year graduation rate is 87.3%.
In career data, 85% of Class of 2024 graduates and 89% of Class of 2023 grads completed at least one business-specific internship before graduation. Some 91.3% of 2024 grads found jobs within three months, compared to 91% of 2023 grads.
Average salary for the most recent graduates was $66,763, with 47% of them reporting an average signing bonus of $7,016. 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 General Management, Industrial Management, Accounting, Economics, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain, Information, and Analytics.
“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 truly integrated hybrid degree that incorporates basic engineering, basic management and project courses that emphasize real-world application and teamwork collaboration. Students are selected for the program on the basis of their interest in interdisciplinary work. Additionally, IBE students have access to select seminars that feature the latest in engineering and management practices.
IBE is a program that is unique to Daniels’ offering as a B-school. By leveraging the prestige of Purdue’s College of Engineering, Purdue offers students interested in both business and engineering a truly integrated degree that is likely to impress future employers.
The relaunch of Purdue’s business school as the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business introduced several key initiatives, reinforcing its business-technology intersection. The school offers STEM-designated degrees in Business Analytics and Information Management (BAIM), Economics, Quantitative Business Economics, Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE), and Supply Chain and Operations Management.
Even non-STEM majors at Daniels emphasize quantitative skills and data analysis to drive business decision-making.
A standout initiative is the Cornerstone for Business program, the nation’s only business communication program that integrates historical, philosophical, and economic foundations into written and oral communication courses. Modeled after Purdue’s Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program, it introduces students to business through classic literature and economic thought, with readings from Aristotle, Adam Smith, Joseph Schumpeter, Charles Dickens, Kurt Vonnegut, and Franz Kafka.
Two years ago, the Daniels School established the Office of Business Partnerships, designed to enhance collaborations with corporate and nonprofit organizations. These partnerships have led to partner-engaged courses, offering immersive experiential learning and exclusive networking opportunities.
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. For instance, the “Mergers & Acquisitions” course gives students an in-depth view of the major aspects of merger and acquisition transactions from deal strategy and deal analysis to deal design. The course is designed around readings and case study analysis with a core final project component that includes a detailed analysis of a merger.
“I believe this project has prepared me for the success in my interviews with brokerages and Investment banks,” one alumni said in regard to the Mergers & Acquisitions valuation project.
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. One alumni recalled the strong support of Purdue faculty in helping the alumni to start a business.
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.”
