The Rival Rundown: Indiana vs. Purdue

Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

By Sara C

Let’s travel to the Midwest, where the people are friendly, the food is hearty, and the state school rivalries are relentlessly combative. In the great state of Indiana, two state school systems (Indiana University and Purdue University) are so entrenched in a battle for loyalty that many homes boast signs in their windows reading “A House Divided”–or in other words, the domain has both Purdue and IU alumni.  Can one school win the rights to true Hoosier pride?

1. Mascot Match-up

Indiana – The Hoosiers are not only the university mascot but the state nickname–a term for someone who transports bales of cotton.  Though a derogatory word in other parts of the country, a Hoosier is a label of pride in Indiana!
Purdue – The Boilermakers get their moniker from the longstanding tradition of excellence in engineering at Purdue, which in the 1890s (at the time of the mascot’s inception) meant toiling in the forge room to boil and meld metal.

Three credits to: Indiana, since it takes some balls to claim a questionable slang term for a school (and state) nickname!

2. Crimson and Gold Cup Stats

Indiana – In the six academic years the contest has been held, Indiana has won 3 times and tied once.
Purdue – Won the Cup in ’07, and tied in ’08.

Three Credits to:  Indiana has the definitive edge here!

3. Academic Specialties

Indiana – New York isn’t the only place to make it as a journalist– Indiana is a tour de force in producing great writers. The university has graduated more than 30 Pulitzer Prize winners, while its creative writing MFA program and workshops are world-renowned.
Purdue – If you’ve always wanted to be an astronaut (I’m talking to you, Lance Bass), Purdue is the place to be. Along with MIT, Purdue has boasted more alumni in NASA space programs than any other non-military university. The school also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation for research in aeronautics.

Three credits to: Purdue–actually, it is rocket science (ayoo!).

4. Ass-kicking Alumni

Indiana – Jared the Subway Guy, Meg Cabot (author of The Princess Diaries), Will Shortz (NYT crossword puzzle writer).
Purdue –Neil Armstrong, Jim Gaffigan, Harold Gray (wrote “Little Orphan Annie”).

Three credits to: Purdue. How can it be that the first man on the moon and the infamous Hot Pockets dude are both Boilermakers?

5. Acceptance Rate Agony (for the class of 2012)

Indiana – 70.7%
Purdue – 71.5%

Three credits to:   Indiana!

And the diploma goes to: Indiana is the definitive winner here. Forgive us for the cliche, but Hoosier daddy?