Analytics organization names Purdue University safest college in America

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s persistent pursuit to prioritize the safety of the campus community is reflected in a new national ranking by Academic Influence that names Purdue America’s safest college.

Academic Influence, an organization consisting of academics and data scientists, lists Purdue as No. 1 on its list of the 15 safest colleges. The ranking considered the following elements:

• Compliance with the Clery Act
• Various security features
• Low crime statistics
• Mental health services

The Purdue University Police Department plays a critical role in the ranking. Officers not only patrol campus 24 hours per day, seven days per week, they provide security services for all large campus events. The department also offers a number of community services, including a Safe Walk program, crime prevention initiatives and verbal de-escalation training. A daily log that documents all crimes reported to the department is also available on the department’s website. PUPD was recently reaccredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. for its professional policies and standards. 

“Purdue is committed to providing a safe campus environment for our students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Jay Wasson, vice president for physical facilities and public safety, said. “Our public safety staff — including the police department, fire department and office of emergency preparedness — work tirelessly with our campus partners to meet the safety needs of the campus community.”

Other factors that contributed to the ranking include the nearly 300 emergency telephone call boxes across campus, mental health services offered through Purdue University Student Health Service and the ongoing partnership with CityBus to provide free rides for anyone with a Purdue ID. These elements impact not only safety but also contribute to a positive college experience.

“Safety is always the top priority at Purdue,” President Mung Chiang said. “We thank the outstanding work 24/7 by the professional colleagues and appreciate the safety mindset of over 60,000 members of the West Lafayette campus. This ranking is another reflection of our continued focus on safety.”

While the Academic Influence ranking is an immense achievement, the university will continue to ensure additional giant leaps are made in providing a safe and secure campus environment.

More information about the ranking can be found on the Academic Influence website.

About Purdue University 

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.  

Media contact: Tim Doty, doty2@purdue.edu