Is Purdue Global the Same as Purdue University?

Purdue Global offers online programs for busy adults and military members. But how is it related to Purdue University?

Keep reading to learn more about Purdue Global programs and discover if Purdue Global is the same as Purdue University.

What Is Purdue University?

Purdue University is a public university system in Indiana. It's comprised of multiple campuses and enrolls over 118,000 students system wide.

The flagship university in West Lafayette was established in 1869 thanks to Abraham Lincoln's Morrill Land Grant Act as well as a generous $150,000 donation from industrialist John Purdue.

Today, this campus offers over 200 undergraduate majors and over 70 graduate programs and serves as the administrative headquarters for the university system. It's considered one of the top public universities in the country.

Aside from the main campus in West Lafayette, other campuses include:

• Purdue University Fort Wayne
• Purdue University Northwest, with campuses in Hammon and Westville, Indiana
• Purdue Polytechnic Institute, with multiple satellite campuses across Indiana
• Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), a collaboration between Purdue University and Indiana University
• Purdue Global, an online campus for nontraditional students

All members of the Purdue University system are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

What Is Purdue Global?

Purdue Global is an online campus of Purdue University that offers programs to working adults and other nontraditional students.

The university was formed out of Kaplan University, a for-profit, primarily online college owned by Graham Holdings Company.

Kaplan University came under fire for leaving students with large debts and not having the programmatic accreditation necessary for students to earn their certifications.

In 2017, Purdue University purchased Kaplan for one dollar with plans to change it to a nonprofit, fully online institution.

Today, Purdue Global enrolls about 33,500 total students in associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, as well as certificate programs.

Like the rest of the Purdue University system, it is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It has also obtained programmatic accreditation for programs that need it.

Is Purdue Global the Same as Purdue University?

Purdue Global is a member of the Purdue University system, but it operates differently than the other schools within the system.

Purdue Global offers programs exclusively online. While some of the other campuses offer online programs, they primarily offer programs on campus.

They also operate on different schedules. While the brick-and-mortar campuses run on traditional semester schedules, terms at Purdue Global are 10 weeks long.

As a result, Purdue Global runs on a quarter-credit system rather than a semester-credit system. For example, bachelor's degrees require 180 quarter credits, the equivalent of 120 semester credits.

Purdue Global also offers a selection of programs in a self-paced format that it calls ExcelTrack. This is not available at other campuses.

All campuses have a different variety of degree offerings, and that includes Purdue Global. Some degrees available at the main campus are not available at Purdue Global, and vice versa.

However, despite these differences, Purdue Global is still a member of the Purdue University system and is still ultimately overseen by the Purdue University Board of Trustees.

What Programs Does Purdue Global Offer?

Purdue Global offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and certificate programs.

It offers a more curated selection of degrees than the main campus. For example, the main campus offers over 200 bachelor's degrees, while Purdue Global offers about 40 Bachelor of Science degrees.

Degrees at Purdue Global are available in the following areas of study:

• aviation
• business
• communication
• criminal justice
• education
• fire and emergency management
• health sciences
• human services
• information technology
• legal studies
• nursing
• professional studies
• psychology
• public policy

The most popular fields for bachelor's and master's degrees are health sciences and nursing followed by business.

Other popular fields for bachelor's degrees include criminal justice and information technology, and for master's degrees include behavioral science and education.

To compare, the most popular field at the West Lafayette campus is engineering, which isn't available at Purdue Global.

ExcelTrack Programs

ExcelTrack programs are self-paced programs offered by Purdue Global that allow students to finish on their schedule.

This format is available for a handful of bachelor's and master's degrees. The bachelor's majors available in the ExcelTrack format are:

• analytics
• business administration
• cloud computing and solutions
• criminal justice
• cybersecurity
• health care administration
• information technology
• nursing, registered nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN)

The master's degrees and certificates available in the ExcelTrack format are:

• business administration
• cybersecurity management
• information technology
• nursing
• nurse executive leader

ExcelTrack programs are meant for students who have some amount of college experience as well as a few years of professional experience in their field of study.

Students start by taking an assessment that measures their knowledge of the subject. Then, they're given a personalized curriculum of highly focused, single-credit courses.

Students take these courses at their own pace. When they finish one, they move on to the next and can take as many as they like during each ten-week term.

Tuition is charged per term for these programs, rather than per individual credit.

How Much Is Tuition at Purdue Global?

For traditional-format programs, tuition is charged per credit.

Undergraduate programs cost $371 per quarter credit, with the exception of the nursing programs, which are $315 per credit. Discounts apply to:

• Indiana residents: $280 per credit
• active military members: $165 per credit
• military veterans: $230 per credit
• military spouses: 10% discount

Bachelor's programs in the ExcelTrack format are $2,500 per 10-week term, with the exception of the RN to BSN program, which costs $4,062 per term.

Master's degrees cost either $420 or $485 per credit, depending on the program. Discounts apply to:

• Indiana residents: 10% discount
• active military members: $320 per credit
• military veterans: $361.20 or $417.10 per credit, depending on the program
• military spouses: 10% discount

The ExcelTrack master's programs in business administration, cybersecurity, and information technology are $1,700 per term, while the nursing programs are $3,200 per term.

Doctoral degrees are $700 per credit. Discounts apply to:

• Indiana residents: 10% discount
• active military members: $560 per credit
• military veterans: $595 per credit
• military spouses: 10% discount

Purdue Global Versus Purdue University

Purdue Global is a member of the Purdue University system but operates a little differently than the brick-and-mortar campuses. With the guide above, you can determine if Purdue Global is right for you.