After 52 years as a shared institution, IUPUI is splitting into two separate schools, Indiana University Indianapolis and Purdue University Indianapolis. On Aug. 12, the two universities announced the decision at their respective meetings. The transition is expected to be completed by the fall 2024 semester.

IU will continue to offer degrees in business, law, nursing, social work and a wide range of other academic specialties. Purdue will assume responsibility for engineering, computer science and technology.

As one of the state’s globally competitive universities, IUPUI has been a historically popular school for students at this school. Because of this realignment, it may impact this school’s students who wish to apply to this university.

For senior Amilyn Ho, she had chosen IUPUI as one of her backup schools. 

Ho said, “I chose IUPUI because it has the same engineering courses as Purdue and because it is in-state and close to home. I want to major in electrical engineering, ideally at Purdue (West Lafayette).”

However, even after the split, she said her plans still have not changed. According to Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University, the split of IUPUI may see more students pursue Purdue engineering programs at both West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses. For her part, Ho said for engineering programs, it is positive news for her.

“I’m pretty indifferent to the change…because (of) how IUPUI and Purdue do their engineering programs. (It) will be about the same as it was before,” she said.

Regardless of the split, Melinda Stephan, college and career resource and programming coordinator, said, “I think (IUPUI) will continue to be a good option for students regardless of the other schools they are considering. I don’t think students to date have used IUPUI as a middle ground for choosing between IU or Purdue. Instead, IUPUI has its own distinct characteristics that make it a good fit for some students.”

Even though the realignment of IUPUI will impact both colleges, she said the university will have a long-lasting legacy.

Stephan said, “There’s not been a lot of information provided to high schools and counselors yet about what the split means. But, it sounds like the split will create more opportunities rather than limit student options.”

More information about the split can be found here.