Princeton acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Princeton University · Private nonprofit · Princeton, NJ · 5,671 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Princeton admitted 4.5% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 7.4% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $65,510 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7.4% | 26,499 | 1,963 |
| 2014 | 7.4% | 26,641 | 1,983 |
| 2015 | 7.1% | 27,290 | 1,948 |
| 2016 | 6.5% | 29,303 | 1,911 |
| 2017 | 6.4% | 31,056 | 1,990 |
| 2018 | 5.5% | 35,370 | 1,940 |
| 2019 | 5.8% | 32,804 | 1,895 |
| 2020 | 5.6% | 32,835 | 1,848 |
| 2021 | 4.4% | 37,601 | 1,647 |
| 2022 | 5.7% | 38,019 | 2,167 |
| 2023 | 4.5% | 39,644 | 1,782 |
Applications went from 26,499 in fall 2013 to 39,644 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | Not reported |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $795 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $1,346 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $4,761 |
| Over $110,000 | $38,927 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $65,510 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $87,888 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $7,815 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 57% submitted the SAT, 20% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Seton Hall NJ | 78.9% | $55,040 same for all |
| Yale CT | 4.5% | $69,900 same for all |
| MIT MA | 4.7% | $64,730 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Princeton drew 39,644 applications for fall 2023 and admitted 1,782 of them, a rate of 4.5%.1 In fall 2013 the rate was 7.4%, so the decline comes to 2.9 percentage points.1 The rate declined in 7 of 10 yearly changes, though 2022 saw a rebound to 5.7%.1 Applications grew 50% from 26,499 to 39,644, while admitted students fell 9%, from 1,963 to 1,782.1
The university is test-optional, and 57% of enrolled students submitted SAT scores with 20% submitting ACT scores.1 On the SAT, the central group of submitters landed between 740 and 780 for reading and writing and between 760 and 800 for math, while ACT composites fell from 34 to 35.1
Princeton lists a single 2025-26 tuition and fees price of $65,510 that applies to all students.2 Grants change what families pay: the average net price was $795 for incomes of $30,001 to $48,000, $1,346 for $48,001 to $75,000, and $38,927 for incomes over $110,000.2
Among 2019 entrants, 97% graduated within 6 years, and the median earnings figure is $133,523 10 years after entry.2 Federal borrowers leave with a median debt of $12,400.2 Of fall 2023 entrants, 98% returned for the next year.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 39,644 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 1,782 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,366 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 5,671 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 780 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 760 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 800 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 57% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 20% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $65,510 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $87,888 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $7,815 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $795 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $1,346 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $4,761 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $38,927 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 97% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 98% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 24% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $133,523 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $12,400 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Princeton, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page