Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey · Founded 1746

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Testing policy

Test-optional

Princeton is test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle: applicants who enroll in fall 2027 are not at a disadvantage without an SAT or ACT score. That changes for the following cycle - first-year AND transfer applicants enrolling in fall 2028 will have to submit SAT or ACT scores. Source: admission.princeton.edu (verified September 2026).

About

A private Ivy League research university with an unusually small undergraduate college at its core. Princeton has no medical, law or business school, which keeps attention on undergraduates.

History

Founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, moved to Princeton in 1756 when Nassau Hall was completed, and renamed Princeton University in 1896.

What stands out

Every undergraduate writes a senior thesis, and most write two junior papers
Residential colleges house students and organize advising and dining
No medical, law or business school - graduate study stays close to the undergraduate departments
Eating clubs on Prospect Avenue play a large role in upperclass social life

Popular majors

Computer SciencePublic PolicyEconomicsOperations Research & Financial EngineeringPoliticsHistoryMolecular BiologyNeuroscienceElectrical & Computer EngineeringCivil & Environmental Engineering

Campus life

Students join one of the residential colleges on arrival, and many upperclass students join an eating club for meals and social life. The campus is a self-contained Gothic town an hour from both New York and Philadelphia, and the senior thesis shapes the final year for everyone.