Full Funding & Benefits
Strong Financial Support
Beyond providing an excellent graduate education, we strive to ensure that our students thrive personally. All students in our Ph.D program with no external fellowship funding are provided financial support through graduate assistantships, typically for at least five years so long as satisfactory progress is made toward their degree, while those with fellowships are generally provided appointments for the timeframe not covered by outside funding.
First-year Ph.D students admitted to our Ph.D. program can expect to receive an offer of financial support through a teaching assistantship with a generous monetary stipend, a full tuition waiver, and a waiver of most fees--a combined support package valued at nearly $70,000 per year. Exceptionally qualified candidates may receive additional financial awards with their offer of admission.
In addition, Purdue covers 80% of the cost of a comprehensive health insurance plan for grads with graduate assistantships and fellowships. For additional information about the health, dental and vision insurance we offer our graduate staff, please visit the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Post Doctoral Scholars's benefits page.
Graduate students living in the Greater Lafayette area also benefit from the area's highly reasonable cost of living, which is 5% below the national average. Housing in the Lafayette area is also 14% lower than the national average! That low cost of living, in combination with our full funding package, can help graduate students focus on their academic pursuits rather than worry about finances.