Cultural diversity is celebrated at Purdue
1. Cultural Centers
As Purdue’s campus has welcomed an increasingly diverse student body, the University created cultural centers to serve as resources for minority student populations. The oldest is the Black Cultural Center, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The University established the Black Cultural Center following peaceful 1968 protests and sustained pressure from students and the Exponent. The University also boasts Asian American and Asian, Latino, LGBTQ, and Native American cultural centers. The centers provide educational and cultural programming for the entire campus.
2. International Flag Display
The International Flag Display, which was established by the Iron Key senior leadership honorary of 2006, is a visual welcome to faculty, staff, students, and visitors and serves as a reminder that Boilermakers exist all over the world. Each year, the display is updated with flags from every country that is represented in the student body that year.
3. International Student Population
We’re proud of Purdue’s reputation as a friendly and welcoming destination for students from all regions, countries, and walks of life. In 2018, about one out of every five Purdue students — nearly 9,000 — hailed from somewhere outside the United States. Purdue is the second-most popular destination in the Big Ten for international students and ranks fourth among public institutions nationwide.
Top 10 countries with students at Purdue
- China 3,033
- India 1,829
- South Korea 607
- Taiwan 289
- Malaysia 169
- Colombia 161
- Brazil 110
- Indonesia 107
- Turkey 104
- Saudi Arabia 95