Princeton University

Overview

Princeton University, the world-famous private research university, has a long and rich history. Founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, it is the fourth-oldest higher education institution in the US. Widely known as just Princeton, it is one of nine colonial colleges founded before the American Revolution.

The College transferred to Newark in 1747 and moved to Princeton after nine years. In 1896, it was renamed Princeton University. The institution offers both undergraduate and graduate education in the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, and the humanities. These are also the university’s strong research areas.

With a strong research foundation and thrust, the Institution has produced 18 alumni winners of the Nobel Prize. It also boasts 27 faculty and staff who are Nobel Prize laureates as well. Notable alumni include James Madison, Michelle Obama, Jeff Bezos, Woodrow Wilson, Alan Turing, Richard Feynman, F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Currently, the university offers 55 interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate programs, 18 master’s degree programs, 42 doctoral departments and programs, and 33 interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programs. The university offers extensive academic and research support to students with a five to one student to faculty ratio.

Princeton Research in 2019 raised total funding of $383 million. Just in that year, seven startups were formed from discoveries made at Princeton. It also had 120 industry projects and was granted 48 patents. The institution boasts of 816 professors who are engaged in research.

Today, the university is ranked by some as the number one among national universities. It has always been a top-ten school in the world when it comes to reputation. And it is ranked as the top university for the physical sciences.

The university has a vibrant campus life. It has more than 200 campus buildings with 6 residential colleges sprawled across its 600 acres. Around 98% of their undergraduate students live on their campus. Additionally, students get to choose from and join more than 300 student organizations. Princeton aims to prepare students for civic service, lifelong inquiry, and ethical leadership.

Princeton has more than 100,000 works in the Princeton University Art Museum. Also, the museum has around 200,000 annual visitors. It is free and open to the public.
In sports, Princeton, an Ivy League university, is the home of the Princeton Tigers. Its athletics program comprises 37 intercollegiate varsity teams, accumulating 206 national championships since inception. The program is known for winning multiple Ivy League field hockey championships.

You can also learn more about the educational performance of Princeton University in our ranking of US universities & colleges.