Choosing Your Engineering Major

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With so many engineering programs at Purdue it can be hard to decide which one to pursue when you enroll here. To make it easier here is a short guide and explanation of what pursuing a degree in engineering at Purdue will look like:



Purdue is home to 14 engineering programs and it is hard to go wrong with any of them when they all rank in the top 30 of all the programs in the US. Thankfully though, you will not have to make a decision on your major until your second year at Purdue. Every engineering student will take generally the same classes in their first year through the First Year Engineering Program (FYE). FYE classes teach very broad skills that are useful to all engineers, while periodically showcasing how those skills would be used in the engineering programs students move on to. These classes are a great way to explore your interests and learn more about engineering programs you have never considered before. 


Over your first year at Purdue, you will have numerous opportunities to learn and explore the 14 programs offered not only in class but outside as well. Every program hosts Engineering Your Major (EYM) seminars throughout the year to teach freshmen about their programs. These are a great way to see into the academic and professional aspects of each major and meet other students and professors already in that program or teaching the program’s classes. When I was in FYE, these were the deciding factor for me because I could see which major had classes that I had an interest in.


The largest programs on campus are Mechanical, Aeronautical and Astronautical, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, with around 1,500 students enrolled in each in 2024. With the smallest programs being Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary, and Agricultural. No matter what program you enroll in though, you will meet engineers of other disciplines almost every day. Each engineering program has its own unique classes, but there is a good deal of overlap in what classes each major must take, especially in the second year of classes. This allows students who are still unsure what major to pursue after First Year Engineering to still change their mind, with little effect on their plan of study. The overlap of classes is also a great way to meet students in other majors and get insight into other programs in which you might have an interest. 


Overall, the choice between engineering programs can seem daunting but with so many opportunities to explore every major before officially committing, the choice becomes significantly easier. 


 Madison Meunier, Chemical Engineering '27

Recruitment Project Committee


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