One of the most popular Ivy League universities, Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. It is one of the best study abroad universities for international students, as the university ranking has been consistent among the top 20 global universities for more than a decade now.
Students across the globe apply to Princeton; however, only a fraction of candidates secure enrollment due to the competitive nature of the university.
Three members of the US Supreme Court — Justices Samuel Alito '72, Sonia Sotomayor '76, and Elena Kagan '81 — are a part of the Princeton University notable alumni. Also, Princeton has won more Ivy League titles than any other member of the League. The university's ranking stands at a high of #1 in National Universities, #1 in Best Value Schools, and #25 in QS World University Rankings 2026. Find out more about the Princeton University Ranking
Princeton University Acceptance Rate 2025
As per the latest available data, Princeton expanded its student body by admitting 5,700 students through Early Action Decision as of December 2024. The Princeton University acceptance rate is expected to stand around 5% for the class of 2029 in continuation with its past trends, as per a credible unofficial source.
Princeton University received about 40,500 applications for Fall 2024, of which only 1,800 students received an admission offer from the university. This implies that the Princeton University acceptance rate 2025 is about 4.6%, suggesting extremely selective admission criteria for students looking to enter Princeton.
Of the total admitted students, around 1,400 enrolled at Princeton, meaning the yield rate for the university is 75.5%. The statistics for the class of 2027 and the class of 2028 are below for comparison:
Particulars
|
2023-2024
|
2024-2025
|
---|
Student Applications
|
51,316
|
40,468
|
Students Admitted
|
2,686
|
1,868
|
Acceptance Rate
|
5.23%
|
4.62%
|
Students Enrolled
|
1,695
|
1,410
|
Yield Rate
|
63.1%
|
75.5%
|
Princeton University Acceptance Rate for International Students
The number of international applicants at the Ivy League university of Princeton for 2025 was around 9,900, of which only 200 candidates were selected. This points to a Princeton University acceptance rate for international students of just 2.1%, suggesting that Princeton admissions are extremely competitive.
Particulars
|
Headcount
|
---|
International Student Applications
|
9,891
|
International Students Admitted
|
209
|
International Students Enrolled
|
162
|
Acceptance Rate
|
2.11%
|
The class of 2029 hails from 47 U.S. states, and the international crowd represents 65 different countries. Some of the nationalities represented include Bolivia, Croatia, India, Kenya, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Princeton houses around 2,100 international students on its campus. These students account for 23% of the total student body and represent 140 countries. The total enrolled undergraduate international students at Princeton University is around 725, representing 140 nations. The breakdown of the students enrolled at Princeton University for the class of 2029 based on ethnicity and racial backgrounds is as follows:
Ethnic/Racial Group
|
Headcount %
|
---|
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
|
0.0% |
American Indian or Alaska Native
|
0.1% |
Black or African American, non-Hispanic
|
5.0%
|
Multiracial |
7.7% |
Race and/or ethnicity unknown
|
8.2% |
Hispanic/Latino
|
9.2% |
Nonresidents
|
14.1% |
Asian, non-Hispanic
|
27.1% |
White, non-Hispanic
|
28.5% |
The number of Indian students housed on the Princeton campus as of 2024 is 197. The enrollment trends for Indian-origin students and international students can be checked out from the table given below:
Year |
Indian Students |
International Students |
---|
2024 |
197 |
2,318 |
2023 |
197 |
2,189 |
2022 |
197 |
1,920 |
2021 |
183 |
1,866 |
2020 |
186 |
2,053 |
Also read: Princeton University courses
Princeton University Acceptance Rate Trends
The number of applications received by Princeton University has fluctuated between 36,000 and 51,000 over the last five years. However, the number of students admitted has dropped by around 1,000, leading to a drop in the acceptance rate as well.
The Princeton acceptance rate has dropped from 7.5% in 2020-21 to 4.6% in 2024-25, suggesting increased selectivity of the admission criteria of Princeton Uni.
Class of
|
Number of Applications Received
|
Number of Students Accepted
|
Acceptance Rate
|
---|
2028
|
40,468
|
1,868
|
4.62%
|
2027
|
51,316
|
2,686
|
5.23%
|
2026
|
50,649
|
2,562
|
5.06%
|
2025
|
46,568
|
2,568
|
5.51%
|
2024
|
36,793
|
2,822
|
7.67%
|
Currently, Princeton University houses 9,100 students, of which 5,700 account for undergraduate students and 3,300 account for graduate students. The enrollment trends for Princeton University can be checked out from the table given below:
Year |
Undergraduates |
Graduates |
Total |
---|
2024-25 |
5,726 |
3,324 |
9,186 |
2023-24 |
5,598 |
3,251 |
8,973 |
2022-23 |
5,540 |
3,238 |
8,895 |
2021-22 |
5,240 |
3,157 |
8,496 |
2020-21 |
4,668 |
3,079 |
7,870 |
Princeton University Early Decision VS Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
Every year, Princeton University admits international students through Early Decision as well as Regular Decision. Usually, the university’s early decision acceptance rate is higher in comparison to the regular decision acceptance rate. Early decision allows applicants to apply to a university earlier than regular decision.
As per unofficial sources, the latest early acceptance rate of Princeton University stands at 10% and the regular acceptance rate stands at 4%. It's easy to observe that a student is likely to have an advantage by applying through the Early Action Plan. The trends over the years for Princeton University acceptance rate for the various decision plans, as per the latest available data, are:
Class of |
RD Princeton Acceptance Rate |
EA Princeton Acceptance Rate |
---|
2024 |
3.71% |
15.82% |
2023 |
4.19% |
13.93% |
2022 |
3.9% |
14.79% |
2021 |
4.3% |
15.39% |
Princeton University Requirements for International Students
In order to secure admission, all overseas applicants must fulfill certain Princeton University admission requirements for international students listed below:
Also check the Princeton University Cost
Princeton University Average GPA, SAT & ACT Scores
Fulfilling the required Grade Point Average is one of the major entry requirements at Princeton and international students must ideally maintain a GPA of 3.8 – 4.0 for Princeton University admissions.
Listed below are the average SAT/ACT scores submitted by the Princeton University class of 2028 students:
Standardized Test
|
Average composite (50th percentile)
|
---|
SAT
|
760
|
ACT
|
35
|
Tips to Get Selected in Princeton University
Princeton University is very selective when it comes to admissions, and hence, applicants must stand apart from the crowd in order to secure their spot. Some of the best practices that students can follow include submission of strong letters of recommendation and an impressive motivation letter or essay.
Apart from academic achievement, Princeton looks for students who make a difference in their schools and communities, so candidates must describe their leadership activities, interests, special skills and other extracurricular involvements.
Princeton University Acceptance Rate VS Yale University Acceptance Rate
The Yale University acceptance rate stands at merely 4.6%, which makes it an extremely competitive university to get into. In comparison, Princeton is just as selective, and thus, at par with Yale, with a Princeton University acceptance rate of 4.6%.
Yale University admissions are very competitive. Yale accepts international students who are exceptional academically, as well as in sports, and can contribute to the welfare of the Yale community. In short, the candidate must be an all-rounder to secure admission to this prestigious Ivy League university.
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