Princeton University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 5%, Princeton University is a most selective private college in New Jersey. Because it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Princeton University weighs, where it ranks among New Jersey schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1570, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Princeton University application deadlines, 2026-27
What do students study at Princeton University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Princeton University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Princeton University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Princeton University?
Princeton University admits about 5% of applicants, but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Princeton University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Princeton University hard to get into?
Princeton University is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 5% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Princeton University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Princeton University, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. Princeton University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Princeton University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Princeton University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Princeton University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1550 SAT?
About 10% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1550 SAT, the middle of Princeton University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1580 SAT comes out near 11%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/princeton-university.
How to get into Princeton University
Built from Princeton University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Princeton University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Princeton University carries about a 3.95 core GPA and a 1530 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1510 to 1580 SAT (34 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1545 or higher; below 1510, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Princeton University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Princeton University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Princeton University's exact dates at www.princeton.edu.
How many students apply to Princeton University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Princeton University received 39,644 applications and admitted 1,782, an acceptance rate of 4.5%. 1,366 enrolled. A yield that high means most admitted students choose Princeton University over their other options, a sign the school is a first choice rather than a backup. Princeton University enrolls about 5,709 undergraduates in total, 50% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Princeton University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Princeton University scored between 1510 and 1580 on the SAT (average 1553). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 34 to 35. A score above 1580 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1510 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Princeton University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Princeton University looks for
What Princeton University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Princeton University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Princeton University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Princeton University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Princeton University cost after financial aid?
Princeton University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $84,040 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $62,688. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $6,128 a year, and it ranges from $41 for families earning under $30,000 to $36,094 for families earning over $110,000. 19% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Princeton University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Princeton University student who received federal aid earns $110,066 a year, up from $87,815 at six years. 98% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 98% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $10,320; 2% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Princeton University compares in New Jersey
Princeton University ranks #1 most selective of 20 schools in New Jersey in our database.
Among the 20 New Jersey schools we track, Princeton University ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes Stevens Institute of Technology at 48%.
Similar to Princeton University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Princeton University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Brown University, Dartmouth College, and Northeastern University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Princeton University's acceptance rate?
Princeton University admitted 1,782 of 39,644 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 4.5% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 77% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Princeton University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1510 to 1580 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1580 is in the top quarter of admits. Princeton University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Princeton University test-optional?
Yes. Princeton University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Princeton University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Princeton University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $6,128 a year against a sticker price of about $84,040. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $41 on average.
What do Princeton University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Princeton University are $110,066 a year among students who received federal aid, and 98% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Princeton University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Princeton University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Princeton University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Princeton University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Princeton University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Princeton University specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.