Princeton University Leads with Academic Excellence and Generous Financial Aid

Princeton University is a private, coeducational, nondenominational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. One of eight universities of the Ivy League, it is the fourth-oldest university in the United States. As a liberal arts institution that is home to a vibrant community, Princeton is committed to enrolling students of all backgrounds and interests and also in ensuring that admitted students can afford college by offering one of the strongest need-based financial aid programs in the country.

Chartered in 1746, Princeton University is recognized for its rigorous standards, strict honor code, outstanding faculty, and historical legacy. Its illustrious academic, athletic, and social traditions have been part of the student experience for more than 260 years. The current undergraduate student population is 5,251.

Notable Princeton University alumni include U.S. Presidents James Madison and Woodrow Wilson; United States Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor; former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama; mathematician John Forbes Nash, who was the subject of the movie "A Beautiful Mind"; physicist Richard Feynman; David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker magazine; filmmaker Ethan Coen and actress Brooke Shields; and Charles Gibson, a former anchor of ABC's "World News." The U.S. House of Representatives has included a Princeton alumnus every year since it first met in 1789.

Ranked First in the Nation and Among the World's Best

Princeton University consistently ranks among the top universities in the nation and the world. From 2001 to 2011, "US News & World Report" ranked Princeton University either first or second among national universities; Princeton held the #1 spot for nine of those eleven years. Princeton tied with Harvard for #1 in 2012 and 2013 but since 2014 Princeton alone has maintained the top ranking on the list.

Academic Overview

Princeton University awards the Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree in 31 concentrations. The School of Engineering and Applied Science confers the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree in six disciplines. 53 interdisciplinary certificate programs are also offered. Also in the undergraduate program are the School of Architecture and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. 

All undergraduates agree to adhere to an academic integrity policy called the Honor Code, established in 1893. Traditionally, undergraduate AB courses in the humanities are either seminars or lectures held two or three times a week with an additional "precept," or discussion seminar. To graduate, all undergraduates complete a senior thesis or a substantial research project and, in most departments, extensive independent research known as "junior papers."

AB undergraduates also fulfill foreign language requirements and distribution requirements with a total of 31 classes for each student. BSE candidates follow a similar track with an emphasis on a rigorous science and math curriculum, computer science requirement, and at least two semesters of independent research including an optional senior thesis. All BSE students must complete at least 36 classes.

Both AB and BSE students enjoy a considerable amount of flexibility in structuring their own curricula.

Post-Princeton Opportunities

Approximately 19 percent of the class of 2015 pursued further education within six months of graduation. Of them 48 percent accepted admission into doctoral programs, 28 percent into master's degree programs, 15 percent into medical schools, and three percent into law school. Within six months of graduation, 70 percent of the class had accepted employment.

Undergraduate Life

About 96 percent of Princeton students live on campus. First year and sophomore students are required to live on campus in one of six residential colleges. The residential experience is central to Princeton's educational program, offering students a supportive and enriching environment full of opportunities for personal growth and extracurricular activities.

The six residential colleges also host a variety of social events and activities throughout the academic year, including guest speakers and trips to New York City and Philadelphia to attend cultural and sporting events. The McCarter Theatre, winner of a Tony Award for best regional theater, is situated on the Princeton campus and is easily accessible to all students.

World-Renowned Faculty

Princeton distinguishes itself among other research universities by its commitment to undergraduate teaching. All faculty members are expected to teach; student-faculty member ratio is about 5:1. Princeton employs 1,238 faculty members who balance excellence in their fields with a dedication to their students' development and success.

Every member of the Princeton University faculty is engaged in scholarly research. Each year, they publish more than 2,000 scholarly documents. Eleven members of the current faculty have received the Nobel Prize and many are MacArthur Fellows.

Distinguished faculty members include Nobel laureate economist Christopher Sims, Pulitzer Prize winning authors Jeffrey Eugenides and Jhumpa Lahiri, Poet Laureate of the United States Tracy K. Smith, Australian philosopher Peter Singer, and F. Duncan Haldane, who received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016.

Highly Ranked Grant-Based Financial Assistance Program

Princeton University is known for its generous financial aid policy. The university was the nation's first to eliminate loans for all students who qualify for financial aid; all assistance is awarded in the form of grants. Princeton will offer $161 million in grants to more than 3,100 undergraduates in the Class of 2021. About 60 percent of incoming students receive financial aid in the form of no-loan grants and campus jobs. Eighty-two percent of recent seniors graduated without debt. Those who chose to borrow for additional expenses graduated with an average debt of $8,900.

"US News & World Report" and "Princeton Review" both cite Princeton as the university with the fewest graduates with debt. "Kiplinger" magazine ranks Princeton as the best value among private universities, noting that the average graduating debt has about "one fifth the average debt of students who borrow at all private schools."

Campus and Surroundings

The main campus of Princeton University is situated on 500 acres in the community of Princeton. The Princeton area, which has a population of approximately 30,000 residents, has tree-lined streets, specialty shops, restaurants, parks, and a friendly and safe atmosphere. The shuttle train known as the "Dinky" connects the campus to Princeton Junction Station and regular service to New York City and Philadelphia via Amtrak or New Jersey Transit (approximately one hour to either city).

• Architecture
• Architecture
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Area and ethnic studies
• African American/Black Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Asian Studies (East)
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Near and Middle Eastern Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Biological/life sciences
• Ecology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Molecular Biology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Neuroscience
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Civil Engineering
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Computer Engineering
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Engineering
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Mechanical Engineering
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Operations Research
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• English
• English
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Foreign languages and literature
• Classics and Classical Languages
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Comparative Literature
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• French
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• German
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Slavic Languages
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Spanish
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• History
• History
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Interdisciplinary studies
• Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Mathematics and statistics
• Mathematics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Philosophy and religious studies
• Philosophy
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Religious Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physical sciences
• Astrophysics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Chemistry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Psychology
• Psychology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Public administration and social services
• Public Policy Analysis
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Social sciences
• Anthropology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Economics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Political Science and Government
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Sociology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Visual and performing arts
• Art History, Criticism and Conservation
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied31,056
• Accepted1,990
• Acceptance Rate6%
• Enrolled5,394
• Female Applicants14,958
• Females Accepted996
• Female Acceptance Rate6%
• Male Applicants16,098
• Males Accepted994
• Male Acceptance Rate6%
• Applying
• Application Fee $65
• Required for All Essay or personal statement
  Transcript of high school record
  Letter(s) of recommendation
  
• Required for Some
• Average high school GPA for first-year freshman3.91
• Application Deadlines
• Type Application Closing Notification Date Rolling Admissions
• Fall freshmen January 1st April 1st --
• Out-of-state Fall freshmen Not Reported
• Early decision plan Not Reported
• Other early decision plan Not Reported
• Transfer Not Reported
• Test Scores Accepted
• Test Average School Accepted 25th Percentile* 75th Percentile*
• SAT Critical Reading 710 780
• SAT Math 720 790
• SAT Writing
• ACT Composite 31 35
• * 25th and 75th percentile is the score that 25/75 percent of students score at or below.

• Tuition
• In-state tuition *$49,330
• Out-of-state tuition *$49,330
• In-district tuitionN/A
• * Tuition costs are based on a full academic year typically extending from September to June.
• Fees
• Full-time student feesNot Reported
• Room and board *$16,290
• Room only *$9,450
• * Room and board charges vary according to board plan selected (i.e., 12-meal plan, 19-meal plan, etc.) and student level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
• Other Payment Considerations
• Guaranteed tuition plan offeredNo
• Tuition pre-payment planNo
• Tuition payment plans offeredDeferred paymentsDeferred payments and Installments
• Student groups that qualify for full or partial waiver of tuitionEmployees or children of employees

• Average Financial Aid Package:$49,502
• Average Freshman Financial Aid Package:$51,390
• Average International Student Financial Aid Package:$49,643
• Average Scholarship and/or Grant Aid Awarded:$47,497
• Percentage of Students with Need who Receive Financial Aid:100%
• Average Percentage of Financial Need Met: 100%
• Percentage of Students Who Had Their Need Fully Met: 100%

• Gender
• Total Undergraduate Students5,394
• Male Student Percentage51%
• Female Student Percentage49%
• Race/Ethnicity
• Hispanic/Latino10.12%
• Black or African American7.7%
• White or Caucasian42.62%
• American Indian or Alaska Native.15%
• Asian21.44%
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.17%
• Two or more races4.33%
• Unknown or International Student1.47%
• Other Student Statistics
• International Breakout11.99% representing 97 other countries
• Out-of-state Students82% out-of-state student

• Housing
• College-owned housing available Yes
• Housing Requirements None
• Housing options Coed housing , Female-only housing, Special housing for disabled, Male-only housing
• Percentage of undergraduate students who live in college-owned housing 96%
• Student Activities
• Student-run campus newspaper Yes
• Drama / theater group Yes
• Student-run radio station Yes
• Student-run television station Yes
• Marching band Yes
• Choral groups Yes
• Student Services
• Legal services Yes
• Health clinic Yes
• Personal / psychological counseling Yes
• Women's center Yes
• Student Organizations
• Greek fraternities No
• Greek sororities No
• Local fraternities No
• Local sororities No
• Other organizations No
• Most popular organizations Not Reported
• Campus Security and Safety
• 24-hour emergency telephone / alarm services Yes
• 24-hour patrols by trained officers Yes
• Students patrols Yes
• Late-night transport / escort services Yes
• Electronically-operated dormitory entrances Yes
• Other Not Reported

• Men's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badminton Yes No No
• Baseball Yes Division 1 No
• Basketball Yes Division 1 No
• Cheerleading Yes No No
• Crew No Division 1 No
• Cross-country running Yes Division 1 No
• Equestrian sports Yes No No
• Fencing Yes Division 1 No
• Field hockey No No No
• Football No Division B No
• Golf No Division 1 No
• Ice hockey Yes Division 1 No
• Lacrosse Yes Division 1 No
• Rugby Yes No No
• Sailing Yes No No
• Skiing Yes No No
• Soccer Yes Division 1 No
• Softball No No No
• Squash Yes Division 1 No
• Swimming Yes Division 1 No
• Table Tennis Yes No No
• Tennis Yes Division 1 No
• Track No Division 1 No
• Ultimate Frisbee Yes No No
• Volleyball Yes Division 1 No
• Water polo No Division 1 No
• Wrestling No Division 1 No
• Women's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badminton Yes No No
• Baseball No No No
• Basketball Yes Division 1 No
• Cheerleading Yes No No
• Crew No Division 1 No
• Cross-country running Yes Division 1 No
• Equestrian sports Yes No No
• Fencing Yes Division 1 No
• Field hockey Yes Division 1 No
• Football No No No
• Golf No Division 1 No
• Ice hockey Yes Division 1 No
• Lacrosse Yes Division 1 No
• Rugby Yes No No
• Sailing Yes No No
• Skiing Yes No No
• Soccer Yes Division 1 No
• Softball Yes Division 1 No
• Squash Yes Division 1 No
• Swimming Yes Division 1 No
• Table Tennis Yes No No
• Tennis Yes Division 1 No
• Track No Division 1 No
• Ultimate Frisbee Yes No No
• Volleyball Yes Division 1 No
• Water polo No Division 1 No
• Wrestling No No No

• Faculty Breakdown
• Total Faculty1,149
• Full-time Percentage83%
• Part-time Percentage17%
• Female PercentageNot Reported
• Male PercentageNot Reported
• Student:Faculty Ratio5:1 or 5,305 students to 1,005 faculty