Tom Cruise’s iconic Princeton University interview in the ‘80’s classic Risky Business leads his character, Joel Goodson, to receive an against-all-odds letter of acceptance. Back in 1983 when the film debuted, the acceptance rate into the New Jersey Ivy was a comparatively unintimidating 20%. Today, the acceptance rate is roughly one-fifth that figure, rendering brash, profanity-laced alumni interviews in the middle of a high school party even less likely to lead to a real-life Princeton acceptance letter. The matter of how to get into Princeton does not hold a simple answer.
In 2022-23, every wanna-be Tiger boasts amazing academic credentials [candidates with a perfect unweighted 4.0 are historically only accepted at an 8.0% clip] and often equally impressive achievements outside of the classroom. So, what separates those that get in versus those that get rejected? The intent of this article is to give those considering applying to Princeton University:
1] An understanding of what you are up against.
2] More data on which to accurately assess your chances of admission.
3] Advice for how to get your application to Princeton stand out, even against other superb applicants.
To accomplish these goals we will touch on the following topics:
- Princeton’s Class of 2026 early [SCEA] acceptance rate
- Princeton’s Class of 2026 acceptance rate
- SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Princeton applicants
- Admissions trends
- How to stand out on your Princeton application
- Princeton’s system for rating applicants
- A look at the demographics of current Princeton undergraduates
- The percent of accepted students that attend Princeton [yield rate]
- Tips for applying to Princeton
- How to approach the Princeton supplemental essays
- How to assess whether applying to Princeton is even worth the $70 application fee [for you]
Many students applying to Princeton may also find the following blogs to be of interest:
How to Get Into:
- Columbia University
- Stanford University
- MIT
Let’s begin with an examination of the most recent admissions data.
Princeton: Early Action Acceptance Rate – Class of 2026
Princeton canceled its SCEA round for the Class of 2026. It will be activated again as an option for the Class of 2027 [those applying in 2022-23].
791 of those applying single-choice early action [SCEA] to the Tiger Class of 2024 were accepted. The school has yet to release the total number of SCEA applicants, so the acceptance rate cannot yet be calculated. However, looking at SCEA results for the Class of 2023, we can see that fewer total students—743—were accepted in that cycle. The Class of 2023 saw an early acceptance rate of 13.9%. For comparison, those admitted early into the Class of 2011 were accepted at a far more favorable 21.1% clip. This paints a clear picture of the increasingly difficult odds of being admitted via SCEA into Princeton.
Princeton Acceptance Rate – Class of 2026
Princeton has decided to withhold admissions data at this time. They have yet to even publicly state the total number of applicants. However, based on past data, we believe a reasonable estimate would be higher than 3% and lower than 4%.
There were 37,601 applications submitted for a place in the 2021-22 freshman class; just 1,498 were accepted. This acceptance rate of 3.98% was the lowest in the school’s history, beating out the Class of 2022 admit rate of 5.5%. The last time that Princeton’s acceptance rate was in the double-digits was for the Class of 2009 [10.9%].
Princeton Admissions – SAT, GPA, and Class Rank
According to the most recent statistics available [Class of 2024], the mid-50% SAT range for admitted freshman was 1470-1560; on the ACT the range was 33-35. For the Class of 2024, the average unweighted GPA was 3.91. An impressive 89% of successful applicants possessed a GPA of 3.75 or higher and 91% placed in the top decile of their graduating high school class.
Admissions Trends & Notes
- The percentage of members of the class whose parents went to Princeton [legacies] fell to 10% for the Class of 2025.
- The students come from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Of the students offered admission, 52% are women and 48% are men.
- International students represent 14% of the admitted students.
- Sixty-four percent of the admitted students come from public schools.
- The applicant pool included students from among 12,298 high schools from 164 countries.
- Lastly, 22% of those offered a place in the Class of 2025 are first-generation students.
How to stand out on my Princeton application
In effect, Princeton is looking for young people who are among the best, or, have the potential to be among the very best at something in the world. They also place a great emphasis on diversity across ethic and socioeconomic lines. In their own words, the admissions staff is seeking a “variety of talents, personal qualities, experiences and points of view in each incoming class. There are some qualities we hope all Princeton students share: integrity, a deep interest in learning and a devotion to both academic and non-academic pursuits. Many students also bring distinctive academic and extracurricular talents and achievements.”
Just look at the list of notable Tiger alumni and you’ll get a sense of what the university is looking for: the next generation of politicians [Ralph Nadar, Woodrow Wilson—a subject of current controversy on campus], award-winning writers [Michael Lewis, Jennifer Weiner] entrepreneurs [Jeff Bezos, Steve Forbes] actors/actresses/filmmakers [Jimmy Stewart, Ethan Cohen, Brooke Shields] whose contributions greatly influence the world in which we live.
Additionally, recruited athletes enjoy a huge edge. This is because Princeton takes great pride in their 38 NCAA Division I sports teams and athletes comprise 20% of the student body.
For advice about how to stand out on the extracurricular front, check out our previous blog entitled How Many Extracurricular Activities Do I Need for College?
How Princeton Rates Applicants
Princeton considers nine factors as “very important” to the admissions process: rigor of high school courseload, class rank. GPA, SAT/ACT scores, essays, recommendation letters, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities. Items that are “considered” as part of the admissions process are: interview, first generation, legacy status, geographical location, ethnicity, volunteer work, and paid work experience.
Princeton is looking for genuine excellence in one or more activities. For example, you won a well-regarded physics, chemistry, or math competition, you are one of the top cellists in the United States, you conducted original scientific research with a university professor, or you started a charitable organization that made a significant local, national, or global impact.
Who Actually Gets Into Princeton?
Geographically, the Class of 2025 was comprised of the greatest numbers of students from the following U.S. states:
- New Jersey: 188
- New York: 133
- California: 140
- Massachusetts: 76
- Texas: 52
- Florida: 50
- Illinois: 32
- Pennsylvania: 68
- Connecticut: 42
- Georgia: 26
- Maryland: 41
The fewest number of students came from the following U.S. states:
- Vermont: 1
- Alaska: 2
- North Dakota: 1
- South Dakota: 1
- Montana: 1
- Wyoming: 2
- West Virginia: 2
- Idaho: 3
- Mississippi: 2
- South Carolina: 4
Competition is stiffest among those hailing from states with endless streams of qualified applicants [the entire Northeast & the West Coast]. Additionally if you hail from the Deep South like Alabama or Mississippi or a less-populated state like Wyoming or North Dakota, your location is more likely to provide a boost to your admissions chances at Princeton.
Looking next at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Class of 2025 was as follows:
- Asian American: 21%
- Hispanic: 11%
- African American: 8%
- Multiracial [non-Hispanic]: 8%
- American Indian: