Princeton: What the Numbers Actually Say
One number on this page deserves to be famous. Princeton’s average net price after aid is six thousand dollars — not per term, per year — and a family earning under $30,000 pays, on average, forty-one dollars. No elite college in America comes close. The school that reads as the most patrician of the Ivies is, by the federal government’s own accounting, the cheapest of them for the families who need it to be.
Princeton admitted 4.4% of 42,303 applicants. Its average net price after aid is $6,128 — cheaper than 96.8% of all US colleges — and the median graduate leaves owing $10,320 while going on to earn $110,066 ten years after enrolling.
At a glance
| Princeton University | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Princeton, NJ | |
| Undergraduates | 5,916 | |
| Acceptance rate | 4.4% | |
| Applicants / admits | 42,303 / 1,868 | |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1500–1580 | |
| Middle 50% ACT | 34–35 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 8:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $6,128 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $110,066 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $10,320 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Cost: the cheapest elite college in America
The sticker is about $91,624. The average student pays $6,128 — a figure lower than all but a sliver of American colleges, public or private. Princeton meets 100% of demonstrated need, and its average first-year grant of $79,320 is the largest on this site.
| Family income | Princeton University | US median |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $41 / year | $15,238 |
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $352 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $1,217 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $4,478 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $36,094 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
Follow that table down: $41 a year under $30,000 of family income, $4,478 in the $75,000–$110,000 band — a tenth of what many private colleges charge that same family. Only 11% of students borrow anything, and the median debt at graduation, $10,320, is lower than 96.4% of US colleges.
Admissions: what Princeton says it weighs
Princeton drew 42,303 applications and admitted 1,868 — 4.4% — with 75.4% of admits enrolling. The early round is restrictive Early Action: non-binding, but exclusive of other private early applications.
| Application factor | Princeton University says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Very important | 27% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Very important | only 17% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | only 18% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Very important | 26% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Very important | only 14% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Important | only 3% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Important | only 7% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Important | only 11% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Considered | 34% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Considered | 45% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Not considered | 57% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 362 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
The bold rows mirror Yale’s more than Harvard’s: alumni relation rated important (3% of schools say that), first-generation status important (7%), the interview important (11%), and — unusually for this tier — class rank still very important. If your school ranks and you sit at the top, Princeton is where that fact works hardest for you.
The admitted middle 50% runs 740–780 on SAT reading and 760–800 on maths, and the average high-school GPA is 3.96. 60% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score — a share that describes the class, not the current submission rules.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
97% graduate within six years, on 99% first-year retention. Median earnings reach $110,066 ten years after enrolling, and students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $127,400 a decade after they started.
How Princeton University compares
Frequently asked questions
What is Princeton’s acceptance rate?
4.4%. Princeton received 42,303 applications and admitted 1,868 students; 75.4% of those admitted enrolled.
Is Princeton really that cheap?
After aid, yes — the cheapest of the elite colleges. The average net price is $6,128 a year, a family earning under $30,000 pays about $41, and from $75,000 to $110,000 about $4,478. The sticker price of $91,624 is what almost nobody on aid pays.
Does class rank matter at Princeton?
More than at almost any peer: Princeton rates class rank very important, a weight only 17% of schools declare — and one Harvard, for contrast, does not consider at all. A top rank at a ranking school works hardest here.
What SAT scores do you need for Princeton?
The admitted middle 50% scored 740–780 on reading and 760–800 on maths, and the average high-school GPA is 3.96. A quarter of admitted students scored below those ranges.
Do Princeton graduates earn more?
Median earnings are $110,066 ten years after enrolling — top 1% nationally — and students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $127,400 ten years after entry. Combined with $10,320 median debt, the return is among the best in American higher education.
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