National university
#3 Best colleges in AmericaPrinceton University
Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $6,128 a year
Median debt at graduation: $10,320 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for psychology in America#1 of 1,418
- Best colleges for art and design in America#1 of 1,187
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#1 of 690
- Best mid-size colleges in America#1 of 667
- Best colleges for English in America#2 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#2 of 1,247
Show 25 more
- Best colleges in America#3 of 1,829
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#2 of 1,215
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#1 of 598
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#2 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#2 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#2 of 1,063
- Best test-optional colleges in America#3 of 1,481
- Best colleges for economics in America#2 of 788
- Best colleges for computer science in America#2 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#2 of 749
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#1 of 367
- Best value colleges in America#2 of 674
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#3 of 682
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#3 of 681
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#14 of 1,829
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#2 of 239
- Best colleges in the New York area#1 of 103
- Best colleges under $20,000 a year in America#2 of 197
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#8 of 690
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#9 of 704
- Most selective colleges in America#9 of 683
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#10 of 684
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#12 of 704
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#27 of 693
- Best colleges in the Philadelphia area#2 of 41
In New Jersey
- Best colleges in New Jersey#1 of 36
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in New Jersey#1 of 36
- Best test-optional colleges in New Jersey#1 of 33
- Best colleges for art and design in New Jersey#1 of 26
- Best colleges for history in New Jersey#1 of 25
- Best colleges for mathematics in New Jersey#1 of 25
Show 22 more
- Best colleges for psychology in New Jersey#1 of 25
- Best colleges for chemistry in New Jersey#1 of 24
- Best colleges for English in New Jersey#1 of 24
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in New Jersey#1 of 22
- Best colleges for economics in New Jersey#1 of 18
- Best colleges for music in New Jersey#1 of 18
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in New Jersey#1 of 17
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in New Jersey#1 of 17
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in New Jersey#1 of 17
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in New Jersey#1 of 17
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in New Jersey#1 of 17
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in New Jersey#1 of 17
- Most selective colleges in New Jersey#1 of 17
- Best value colleges in New Jersey#1 of 16
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in New Jersey#1 of 16
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in New Jersey#1 of 16
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in New Jersey#1 of 16
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in New Jersey#1 of 16
- Best mid-size colleges in New Jersey#1 of 14
- Best colleges for computer science in New Jersey#1 of 12
- Best colleges for engineering in New Jersey#1 of 11
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in New Jersey#1 of 8
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.98%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.98%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,553 · ACT 34.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.5 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$73,220
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $84,040 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 5,671 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 50% · Women 50% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 28% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 82% |
| Total students | 8,922 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $6,128 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $84,040 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $10,320 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 98% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 86% |
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $110,066 |
| Admission rate | 5% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,545 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
| Average SAT | 1553 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 740–780 |
| SAT math | 770–800 |
| ACT composite | 34–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Exceptional · Top 1% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Economics | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Political science | |
| History | |
| Experimental psychology | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| English |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Architecture, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil engineering, Classics, Electrical engineering, Engineering (general), Ethnic and gender studies, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Linguistics, Mathematics, Music, Neuroscience, Operations Research, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Sociology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Engineering | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Public administration and social service |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $20,250 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Ivy Group |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 5 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 5%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 87%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $3,759,953IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 97% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Trenton Mercer Airport (TTN)About 10 miles away |
| Nearest major airport | Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)About 35 miles away |
| Town population | 30,756Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PhiladelphiaAbout 34 miles away |
| Typical weather | 31°F in January · 75°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Hightstown 2 W, NJ, about 8 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.44 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.11 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.22 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 2.52 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Princeton University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 1% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Princeton University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $6,128 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Princeton University?
- Princeton University admitted 5% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Princeton University’s graduates do?
- 98% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $110,066; the median federal debt at graduation is $10,320.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 186131
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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