Purdue University Press
Purdue University Press, founded in 1960, publishes scholarly and professional books and journals in specialized subject areas including aeronautics, Jewish studies, agriculture, and Indiana history. It serves academic libraries, general readers, and technical professionals globally through direct sales, Longleaf Services distribution, and the open access Purdue e-Pubs repository.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersWest Lafayette, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Purdue University Press does
Purdue University Press is the scholarly publishing arm of Purdue University, founded in 1960 and headquartered on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Press publishes scholarly and professional books and journals across a defined set of subject areas including aeronautics and astronautics, the human-animal bond, Central European studies, Jewish studies, agriculture and environmental science, health and aging, business and technology, and Purdue and Indiana history. Output is modest in scale — approximately 28 new titles were published in 2020 — and the operation is staffed by a team of about 7 employees under Director Justin Race, with Bryan Shaffer serving as Sales and Marketing Manager.
The Press's commercial products consist primarily of monographs and edited volumes sold in paperback, hardcover, EPUB, and PDF formats through its own website, with prices ranging from approximately $15.95 to $139.99, alongside subscription-based academic journals. Distribution and fulfillment have been outsourced to Longleaf Services under a partnership effective July 1, 2020, providing access to bookstores and online retailers globally. In parallel, the Press co-operates Purdue e-Pubs, an open access institutional repository supported by Purdue University Libraries, which has published more than 75,000 works, generated more than 21 million downloads, and reached readers in more than 230 countries — establishing a substantial non-commercial dissemination channel alongside the paid catalog.
The Press pursues a direct-to-consumer go-to-market through its website, press.purdue.edu, supplemented by content marketing (news blog, author Q&As), email newsletters, and organic social. Customer segments are hybrid: academic institutions and libraries (vertical), general readers and students (horizontal), and professionals in agriculture and engineering (use case). Revenue mechanics rely on one-time book purchases and recurring journal subscriptions, with a growing volume of free open access content delivered via Purdue e-Pubs. There is no venture funding, no M&A activity, and no disclosed AI/technology stack beyond a standard e-commerce site and EPUB reader app.
Purdue University Press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Purdue University Press
- Legal name
- Purdue University Press
- Website
- https://press.purdue.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Purdue University Press, founded in 1960, publishes scholarly and professional books and journals in specialized subject areas including aeronautics, Jewish studies, agriculture, and Indiana history. It serves academic libraries, general readers, and technical professionals globally through direct sales, Longleaf Services distribution, and the open access Purdue e-Pubs repository.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Purdue University Press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scholarly Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro industry
- Research Monographs & University Press PublishingMedia, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly PublishingEducation/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed)Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)Open Access Scholarly Journals & MonographsEducation/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)Humanities & Arts Scholarly PublishingEducation/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)Business, Economics & Management Scholarly PublishingEducation/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)Life Sciences (Biology, Ecology, Agriculture) Scholarly PublishingEducation/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)Conference Proceedings & Research Reports PublishingEducation/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science)
Keywords
Where Purdue University Press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Lafayette
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Purdue University Press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sale of scholarly and professional books in print and digital formats. One-time purchase model for individual titles.
- Journal Subscriptions: Journals published with subscription-based access for institutions and individuals.
- Open Access Publications: Free open access publications through Purdue e-Pubs institutional repository.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback editions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hardcover editions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | eBook editions |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Open Access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Purdue University Press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Purdue University Press publishes scholarly and professional books and academic journals across disciplines such as Purdue and Indiana history, aeronautics and astronautics, the human-animal bond, Central European studies, Jewish studies, agriculture, business, and technology. Titles are released in paperback, hardcover, EPUB, and PDF formats, distributed through the press's own website, Longleaf Services, online retailers, and physical bookstores. The press also operates Purdue e-Pubs, an open access institutional repository that provides free access to over 75,000 scholarly works.
Product overview
Purdue University Press is a university press that publishes scholarly and professional books and journals. The core offerings include book publishing across multiple academic disciplines and journal publishing. The press publishes books in subject areas including Purdue and Indiana history, aeronautics/astronautics, the human-animal bond, Central European studies, Jewish studies, agriculture and environmental science, health and aging, business and technology, and other select disciplines. Publications are available in multiple formats including paperback, hardcover, EPUB, and PDF. The press also operates Purdue e-Pubs, an institutional repository providing open access to scholarly works, and offers open access resources alongside its traditional publishing program. Books are distributed through Longleaf Services for fulfillment, and eBook formats require the Leaf e-Reader app for EPUB reading.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Purdue University Press
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Purdue University Press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Purdue University Press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Longleaf ServicescorePurdue University Press partnered with Longleaf Services for fulfillment and distribution services effective July 1, 2020. Longleaf handles order fulfillment and distribution to bookstores and online retailers.
- Purdue e-PubscoreOpen access text repository and publishing platform supported by Purdue University Libraries. Purdue e-Pubs hosts over 75,000 works with more than 21 million downloads across 230+ countries.
- Purdue University LibrariescorePurdue University Libraries support the Purdue e-Pubs institutional repository, providing infrastructure for open access publishing.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Purdue University Press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MIT Press: Much larger university press with extensive academic publishing in science, technology, and humanities. While broader than Purdue University Press, it competes for similar academic library acquisitions and author talent.
Direct peers
- Ohio State University Press: Public university press focused on scholarly monographs and journals in humanities and social sciences, with comparable scope and mission-aligned publishing model.
- Rutgers University Press: Public university press publishing scholarly books across similar humanities and social science disciplines, with comparable subject breadth and academic library distribution channels.
- University of Michigan Press: Big Ten university press with parallel scholarly publishing program, strong open access commitment, and comparable niche subject specializations. Similar institutional structure and editorial approach.
- Indiana University Press: State university press with similar scholarly publishing focus and Indiana/Midwest regional focus, publishing comparable humanities and social sciences monographs. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and organizational structure as a peer Big Ten university press.
- University of Illinois Press: Mid-sized public university press with similar scholarly monograph output across humanities, regional history, and American studies. Directly comparable in operating model, distribution strategy, and academic scope.
- Cornell University Press: Established university press with strong scholarly monograph publishing across humanities and social sciences, including Jewish studies and regional history. Comparable in mission and academic publishing focus, though larger and more established.
- Penn State University Press: Big Ten university press with strong scholarly monograph list, particularly in humanities, arts, and regional studies. Closely comparable in scale, subject mix, and university-affiliated operating model.
- University of Wisconsin Press: Public university press publishing scholarly books and journals across humanities, social sciences, and regional studies. Comparable in size, scope, and distribution approach to other Big Ten/mid-major university presses.
Others
- Longleaf Services: Distribution and fulfillment partner that serves multiple university presses; not a peer but a key industry infrastructure provider relevant to understanding Purdue University Press's distribution economics and comparable university press operations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Purdue University Press social profiles
Digital presencePurdue University Press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Purdue University Press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Purdue University Press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Purdue University Press M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Purdue University Press
What does Purdue University Press do?
Purdue University Press publishes scholarly and professional books and academic journals across disciplines such as Purdue and Indiana history, aeronautics and astronautics, the human-animal bond, Central European studies, Jewish studies, agriculture, business, and technology. Titles are released in paperback, hardcover, EPUB, and PDF formats, distributed through the press's own website, Longleaf Services, online retailers, and physical bookstores. The press also operates Purdue e-Pubs, an open access institutional repository that provides free access to over 75,000 scholarly works.
Is Purdue University Press a public or private company?
Purdue University Press is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Purdue University Press founded?
Purdue University Press was founded in 1960. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Purdue University Press based?
Purdue University Press is headquartered in West Lafayette, United States, in the North America region.
How does Purdue University Press make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are journal Subscriptions and open Access Publications.
Who are Purdue University Press's main competitors?
MIT Press is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Ohio State University Press, Rutgers University Press, University of Michigan Press, Indiana University Press, University of Illinois Press, Cornell University Press, Penn State University Press and University of Wisconsin Press. Longleaf Services is listed as an others.
Does Purdue University Press have an API?
No public API is recorded for Purdue University Press.
What industry is Purdue University Press in?
Purdue University Press's product category is Scholarly Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJABAJ, Research Monographs & University Press Publishing, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAH, Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.