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Princeton University: Rankings, Admissions, Cost & Majors

1176 awards Ranking Badges
Fair Price Value for Your Money
5% Acceptance Rate

Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution in Princeton, New Jersey enrolling 5,709 undergraduates. It accepts 5% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 98%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #54 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 1%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.

Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.

How Is Princeton University Ranked?

Princeton University ranks #54 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 1%.

#54 Best Colleges in Nation
#1 Best Colleges in NJ
Princeton University ranking badge

2027 Rankings

College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.

Princeton University was awarded 1176 badges in the 2027 rankings.

Overall Quality

College Factual ranked Princeton as #54 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list. This puts it in the top 5% of all schools in the nation.

Within the state, Princeton holds the #1 spot on the Best Colleges in New Jersey ranking.

See all of the rankings for Princeton University.

Is It Hard to Get Into Princeton University?

5% Acceptance Rate
5% Of Accepted Are Women
56% Submit SAT Scores

Acceptance Rate

Princeton University has a very low acceptance rate of 5%, making it one of the most selective out of all the colleges and universities in the nation. It’s probably a good idea to apply to other schools in addition to Princeton just in case you don’t make the cut.

Average Test Scores

About 56% of students accepted to Princeton submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 740 and 780. Math scores were between 770 and 800.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for Princeton University  ( 740 to 780 )
200
800
SAT Math Scores for Princeton University  ( 770 to 800 )
200
800

Princeton received ACT scores from 21% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 34 and 35.

ACT Composite Scores for Princeton University  ( 34 to 35 )
1
36

Learn more about Princeton University admissions.

What Is the Student-to-Faculty Ratio at Princeton University?

5 to 1 Student to Faculty
87% Full Time Teachers

Student to Faculty Ratio

The student to faculty ratio at Princeton is an impressive 5 to 1. That’s quite good when you compare it to the national average of 15 to 1. This is a good sign that students at the school will have more opportunities for one-on-one interactions with their professors.

Percent of Full-Time Faculty

In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.

The full-time faculty percentage at Princeton University is 87%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.

Full-Time Faculty Percent  87 out of 100
0
100

What Are the Graduation and Retention Rates at Princeton University?

98% Freshmen Retention
98% On-Time Graduation Rate

Freshmen Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate of 98% tells us that most first-year, full-time students like Princeton University enough to come back for another year. This is a fair bit higher than the national average of 68%. That’s certainly something to check off in the good column about the school.

Freshmen Retention Rate  98 out of 100
0
100

Graduation Rate

Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At Princeton the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 98%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.

On-Time Graduation Rate  98 out of 100
0
100

Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Princeton University.

How Diverse Is Princeton University?

5,709 Undergraduate Students
49.0% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
50.0% Percent Women

During the most recent academic year, there were 5,709 undergraduates at Princeton.

Get more detailed information on the diversity at Princeton University.

How Much Does Princeton University Cost?

$17,140 Net Price
2% Take Out Loans
$24,560 Total Student Loans

The typical net cost at Princeton is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.

Net Price by Income Group for Princeton

$0-30 K $30K-48K $48-75 $75-110K $110K +
$41 $352 $1,217 $4,478 $36,094

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Princeton, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.

Student Loan Debt

It’s not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At Princeton, approximately 2% of students took out student loans averaging $6,140 a year. That adds up to $24,560 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 1.5%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Princeton University.

How Much Do Princeton University Graduates Earn?

$110,066 Avg Salary of Grads
High Earnings Boost

The pay for some majors is higher than others, but on average, students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University make about $110,066 a year during their first few years of employment after graduation. That’s great news for Princeton University students since it is 124% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Average Salary for Princeton University Graduates

See which majors at Princeton University make the most money.

Where Is Princeton University Located?

New Jersey State
5,709 Undergraduate Students
Small City Campus Setting

Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution found in Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton is a great location for students who prefer city over country life. Get more details about the location of Princeton University.

Location of Princeton University

Contact information for Princeton University are given below.

Contact Details
Address: 1 Nassau Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544-0070
Phone: 6092583000
Website: www.princeton.edu
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton_University
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PrincetonU
Twitter: twitter.com/princeton

What Majors Does Princeton University Offer?

17 Majors With Completions
4,906 Undergraduate Degrees

In the most recent reporting year, students from 17 majors graduated from Princeton University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.

Most Popular Majors Completions Average Salary of Graduates
Multi-Disciplinary Studies 2,453 NA
Computer Science 267 NA
Public Policy 230 $61,890
Economics 170 $81,961
Electrical Engineering 150 NA
History 128 $50,775
Biochemistry & Biophysics 100 NA
Chemistry 97 NA
Physics 93 NA
Political Science & Government 93 $37,831

Learn more about the majors offered at Princeton University along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.

Interested in comparing Princeton? Compare them side by side using College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.

Notes and References

Footnotes

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

References

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