A joint public regional university serving Fort Wayne (1964–2018), split into two separate institutions.
IPFW offered more than 200 graduate and undergraduate degree programs through Indiana University or Purdue University on a program-by-program basis. The university comprised nine colleges and schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Richard T. Doermer School of Business, and a branch of the Indiana University School of Medicine. IPFW was selective, accepting 82.1% of applicants for fall 2012, with a 17:1 student-to-teacher ratio and 51% of classes holding 20 or fewer students.
The 688-acre campus encompassed four main areas: the Main Academic Campus with academic and administrative buildings, the Waterfield Student Housing Campus with residence halls, the Research-Incubator Campus featuring the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, and the former McKay Family Farm with athletic facilities. IPFW was predominantly a commuter school, with only 6% of students living in university-operated housing. The Walter E. Helmke Library, dedicated in 1977, housed nearly 1 million printed materials and provided 24/7 access to electronic resources. Student life included The Communicator newspaper, College Access Television, and the Omnibus Lecture Series.
IPFW competed in NCAA Division I as a member of the Summit League, fielding 14 men's and women's athletic teams. The athletic program was known as the Fort Wayne Mastodons from 2016 to 2018, with Don the Mastodon as the mascot. Following the 2018 split, the athletic program was rebranded as the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons and moved to the Horizon League in July 2020.
IPFW originated from two extension centers: Indiana University's Fort Wayne Extension (established 1917) and Purdue University's Fort Wayne Center (established 1941). These merged in 1964 on a new 114-acre suburban campus. The Fort Wayne Art Institute (founded 1897) merged with IPFW in 1976, becoming the College of Visual and Performing Arts. On July 1, 2018, IPFW was divided into two universities: health sciences programs transferred to Indiana University Fort Wayne, while all other programs became Purdue University Fort Wayne.