Address: Princeton University, 08544 Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Public and International Affairs, Humanities
Established in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey. It is one of the oldest universities in the US, renowned for its undergraduate teaching focus, research excellence across disciplines, and beautiful campus.
Princeton University began in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, in Elizabeth, then moved to Newark and, in 1756, to Princeton. Nassau Hall, completed in 1756, served as the largest academic building in the colonies, and it housed the Continental Congress for a few months in 1783. The college took the name Princeton University in 1896. It has about 9,100 students and 8,100 staff, and the leafy campus of Gothic towers and quadrangles is among the most photographed in the United States.
Princeton places a particular emphasis on undergraduate teaching, which sets it apart among the Ivy League. Every undergraduate writes an independent senior thesis, and juniors complete independent work too. The university offers a limited number of professional schools compared with its peers, and it has no schools of law, medicine or business. The strongest identity lies in the arts and sciences, engineering and public affairs, and the School of Public and International Affairs prepares many future diplomats.
The mathematician and physicist community has been remarkable. Albert Einstein spent the last two decades of his life at the nearby Institute for Advanced Study, which is independent from the university. John Nash and John von Neumann worked in the same environment. The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory conducts research on fusion energy for the Department of Energy, and the university library holds large collections of manuscripts and rare books.
Admission is selective, and financial aid is need-based for every admitted student, including international applicants. Check the current tariff for tuition. Teaching is in English. The honour code applies to written exams, which are taken without a proctor, and students sign a pledge.
Most undergraduates live in residential colleges. The Dinky train links the campus to Princeton Junction, where trains run to New York and Philadelphia.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Project Management, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Ivy League institution with a strong emphasis on undergraduate education (senior thesis is a hallmark) and independent research. Operates Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) for DoE. Member of AAU. No medical, law, or business school, focusing on arts/sciences and engineering.
Research:
World-leading research in mathematics, physics, public and international affairs (School of Public and International Affairs), economics, and humanities. Numerous Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists.
Famous Alumnis:
Albert Einstein (scholar at IAS, closely affiliated), Woodrow Wilson, Michelle Obama, Jeff Bezos, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Alan Turing (PhD), John F. Kennedy (attended briefly)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
8100
Current students***:
9100
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
105000
Pros
Ivy League education with exceptional undergraduate focus, world-class faculty and research, beautiful historic campus, strong commitment to liberal arts and sciences.
Cons
Extremely competitive admissions, intense academic environment, located in a smaller town (though close to NYC/Philly), can be perceived as traditional.
Best For
Exceptionally talented students seeking a world-class Ivy League education with a strong emphasis on undergraduate teaching, independent research, and a close-knit academic community, particularly in arts, sciences, public affairs, and engineering.
Brown University takes a similar route through physics, mathematics and life sciences, and it is also a private institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
University of Chicago offers a comparable education in physics, mathematics and life sciences: it is larger, enrolling about 18,000 students against roughly 9,100 here, and is also a private institution.
For students who like the project management, physics and life sciences focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Columbia University fits well: it also offers mba programmes and covers engineering as well.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology follows much the same lines as this institution, with physics, mathematics and AI and machine learning as common ground, and it also offers mba programmes and covers robotics and materials as well.
Among national alternatives, Stanford University stands out for its focus on physics, life sciences and data analytics, and it covers bioengineering and engineering as well, and is larger, enrolling about 17,800 students against roughly 9,100 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In the United Kingdom, University of Cambridge teaches much the same core subjects, physics, mathematics and life sciences, and it is larger, enrolling about 24,500 students against roughly 9,100 here, and is public, whereas this institution is private.
Novosibirsk State University in Russia pursues a similar profile in physics, mathematics and life sciences, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers computer vision and chemistry as well.
Looking internationally, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine is where physics, mathematics and life sciences get a comparable treatment; it is larger, enrolling about 15,000 students against roughly 9,100 here, and is public, whereas this university is private.
For physics, mathematics and life sciences outside the home country, Imperial College London in the United Kingdom is a natural reference; it is larger, enrolling about 20,500 students against roughly 9,100 here, and is public, whereas this institution is private.
If this university is on your list for physics, mathematics and AI and machine learning, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in Russia deserves a comparison, because it is slightly smaller, at about 7,000 students against roughly 9,100 here, and is public, whereas this university is private.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Princeton University?
In Princeton, New Jersey, between New York and Philadelphia.
When was it founded?
In 1746, as the College of New Jersey.
How large is it?
About 9,100 students and 8,100 staff.
What is Nassau Hall?
The building completed in 1756 that housed the Continental Congress for a few months in 1783.
What is distinctive about undergraduate studies?
Every undergraduate writes an independent senior thesis.
Does it have law, medicine or business schools?
No.
Was Einstein a professor at Princeton University?
No. He worked at the nearby Institute for Advanced Study, which is independent from the university.
What is the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory?
A laboratory that conducts fusion energy research for the Department of Energy.
How is financial aid decided?
It is need-based for every admitted student, including international applicants. Check the current tariff.
How do you reach New York?
By the Dinky train to Princeton Junction, then a train to New York.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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