Private nonprofit · University

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey · Small city

#1 most selective in New Jersey#1 for grad earnings in New Jersey#1 graduation rate in New Jersey
4.6%
Admit rate
$6,128
Avg net price
98%
Graduation rate
$110,066
Median earnings

Princeton University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Princeton, New Jersey (small city setting), enrolling 5,709 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 5,709 undergradsSmall cityHighly selective · 5% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Ivy GroupCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Princeton University's admitted students.

Admit rate
4.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1510–1580
Avg GPA
3.95

Enter a test score to see where you land against Princeton University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Princeton University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Princeton, New Jersey

The Municipality of Princeton is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Europeans settled into the area in the late part of the 17th century, arriving from Delaware to settle West Jersey, and from New York to settle East Jersey, with the site destined to become Princeton being amid the wilderness between these two boroughs. Albert Einstein House, located at 112 Mercer Street, was the home of Albert Einstein from 1936 until his death in 1955. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
22 miles
Nearest airport
10 miles to Trenton Mercer (TTN)

How Princeton University compares

Selectivity4.6%

More selective than 99% · #1 most selective of 43 in New Jersey

SAT average1553

Higher than 99%

Graduation rate98%

Higher than 99% · #1 of 47 in New Jersey

First-year retention98%

Higher than 96%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$110,066

Higher than 99% · #1 of 38 in New Jersey

Average net price$6,128

Cheaper than 97% · #2 cheapest of 46 in New Jersey

Median debt at graduation$10,320

Lower than 97%

Student–faculty ratio5 : 1

Lower than 96%

Undergraduate enrollment5,709

Larger than 80%

Percentiles compare Princeton University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New Jersey.

Princeton University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

9,033students
  • Undergraduate5,70963%
  • Graduate3,32437%

Undergraduates by gender

5,709undergrads
  • Women2,93251%
  • Men2,77749%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White34%
  • Black8.7%
  • Hispanic10%
  • Asian23%
  • Other or multiracial24%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,709
Graduate enrollment
3,324
Student–faculty ratio
5 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
19%
First-generation students
28%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$37,036
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$228,186
Endowment
$33,401,865,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,364 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From New Jersey16%
  • Other U.S. states71%
  • International13%

A national draw — only 16% of first-years come from New Jersey; 71% arrive from other states.

13% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
4.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1510–1580
SAT average
1553
SAT reading
740–780
SAT math
770–800
ACT composite
34–35
Average GPA
3.95

Cost

In-state tuition
$62,688
Room & board
$20,250
Books & supplies
$1,050
Total cost of attendance
$84,040
Average net price
$6,128

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
98%
Graduated on time (4 years)
75%
First-year retention
98%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$87,815
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$110,066
Median debt at graduation
$10,320
Students with federal loans
2%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
83%

About 22% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
75%
First-generation
89%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
5,526
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
97%
Housing charge (year)
$11,400
Meal plan (year)
$7,980
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Ivy Group
Varsity athletes
1,189 (686 men · 503 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (19)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)277
Rowing187
Football122
Lacrosse84
Swimming and Diving (combined)65
Soccer57
Ice Hockey50
Water Polo43
Other Sports34
Basketball33
Fencing33
Volleyball32
Baseball31
Squash30
Wrestling30
Field Hockey24
Tennis23
Softball18
Golf16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
29
Property offenses (2022–2024)
153

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (9,137 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

61reported offenses a year
9.7 violent a year51 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
44
Burglary
7.0
Rape
6.7
Fondling
2.0
Aggravated assault
1.0
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$41
$30–48k
$352
$48–75k
$1,217
$75–110k
$4,478
$110k+
$36,094

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$5,286

$1,217/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

60%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$57,898
average award, among those who get one

Princeton University discounts heavily: 60% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $57,898. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,497 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$110,066
Typical debt at graduation
$10,320
Debt vs. one year's pay
9%
Out-earn a HS grad
81%

Typical debt would take roughly under a year to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$93,247
Men
$133,460

Men out-earn women by $40,213 (43%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
87°F
Winter low
21°F
Annual rain
47.5″
Annual snow
23.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hightstown 2 W, NJ US station (7.6 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Princeton University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Princeton University side by side →

Colleges near Princeton University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.