Founded in 1869 and named after benefactor John Purdue Purdue University is a co-educational; land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and money from Lafayette businessman John Purdue to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name; the first classes were held on September 16, 1874, with six instructors and 39 students
Today, the University offers more than 200 majors for undergraduates, over 70 master’s and doctoral programs, and professional degrees in pharmacy and veterinary medicine. Purdue enrolls the second-largest student body of any university in Indiana, as well as the fourth-largest international student population of any university in the United States.