Princeton University

First-year admission

Applications are submitted through the Common Application together with the Princeton-specific Questions (CEEB code 2672). Single-choice early action is non-binding: apply by Nov. 1, financial aid application due Nov. 9, decision in mid-December; applicants to this round may not apply to an early program at another private US college. Regular decision: application due Jan. 1, financial aid due Feb. 1, decision in late March. The candidate reply date is May 1. Applicants submit a graded written paper (preferably English or history), a school report, counselor recommendation, transcript, two teacher recommendations and a midyear report. Optional components are the Arts Supplement (due Nov. 6 or Jan. 8) and an alumni interview. Review is holistic. Applicants with low income or in the US military may use the Princeton-specific fee waiver; fee waivers are also accepted from ACT, College Board and NACAC.

Standardized testing

Princeton is test optional for applicants seeking to enroll in fall 2026 and fall 2027 and returns to requiring SAT or ACT scores for the 2027-28 cycle (fall 2028 enrollment). There are no minimum score requirements. Score codes: SAT 2672, ACT 2588. Applicants submitting scores should test by October for early action and December for regular decision. AP and IB scores may be self-reported.

Transfer admission

Transfer students enter in the fall term only, with at least one year of full-time transferable postsecondary credit by the spring before enrollment; one year of credit enters as sophomores and two years as juniors. Students who already hold a bachelor's degree are not eligible; an associate's degree is acceptable. The transfer financial aid deadline is March 9.

International applicants

International applicants are reviewed in the same way as US applicants. The academic record is evaluated in the context of the national system (for example IGCSE, A-Level, IB, national leaving exams), and no GPA conversion is required. The graded written paper must be written in English. Applicants whose native language is not English and who attend a school where English is not the language of instruction must submit TOEFL, IELTS Academic, Duolingo English Test or PTE Academic; applicants who have spent at least three years at a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction are exempt. No minimum English scores are stated for undergraduates.

Graduate admission

Applications to the Graduate School are made online for a specific degree program. The application fee is $90 (nonrefundable; fee waivers available). Deadlines vary by program, for example Nov. 15 (Psychology), Dec. 1 or Dec. 15 for most fields, for fall 2027 entry all deadlines fall in 2026. GRE requirements are set by each department; the Graduate School sets no minimum score. English proficiency tests accepted are TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo English Test, with department-specific requirements.

Main campus, Princeton, New Jersey - undergraduate and graduate teaching, seven residential colleges (Butler, Forbes, Mathey, Huo, Rockefeller, Whitman, Yeh), 400+ buildings across the Municipality of Princeton, West Windsor Township and Plainsboro Township on about 3,500 acres.

• Libraries: 10 Princeton University Library locations; Firestone Library dedicated 1948.
• Princeton University Art Museum: more than 117,000 works.
• Housing and dining: on-campus housing guaranteed for four years; 96% of undergraduates live on campus.
• Athletics: 38 varsity intercollegiate teams and 39 sport club teams.
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (Forrestal Campus, established 1951): DOE national laboratory managed by the University.
• TigerTransit: 15 all-electric buses providing free rides.