How does the study abroad feel at Purdue compared with NYU Shanghai?

NYU Shanghai will feel much more like a true study abroad experience in day-to-day life. You would be living in one of the world’s biggest cities, studying in a campus built around a globally mixed student body, and navigating daily life across cultures in a way that is hard to replicate on a U.S. campus.

The biggest difference is the surrounding environment. At Purdue, you are in West Lafayette, Indiana, which feels like a classic American college town centered heavily around the university. That can still feel far from home if you are coming from a different region or country, but the rhythm of life is still very recognizably U.S. college life: Big Ten energy, residence halls, student organizations, dining courts, and a campus bubble that is easier to settle into.

At NYU Shanghai, the city itself shapes your experience every day. Even routine things like commuting, ordering food, hearing multiple languages, using local apps, or traveling through Shanghai make the experience feel international in a constant, practical way. The student community is also intentionally global, so the cross-cultural aspect is not just something you opt into for a semester. It is built into classes, friendships, and everyday logistics.

Another difference is how “away from home” each place feels. Purdue can absolutely feel independent and immersive, but it is still designed like a traditional residential American university where many parts of life are familiar and structured. NYU Shanghai tends to feel less insulated and more like living abroad while going to college, which is a different kind of adjustment and usually a stronger one.

If you are trying to picture which campus feels more like you are actively living in another country rather than simply attending college far from home, NYU Shanghai is the clearer answer.