Princeton University was founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making it the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges. It moved to Newark in 1747 and then to its current location in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1756, where Nassau Hall became its iconic centerpiece. The institution adopted its current name, Princeton University, in 1896, and throughout the 20th and 21st centuries it evolved into a world-leading research university while preserving its strong commitment to undergraduate liberal arts education, admitting women in 1969, and producing groundbreaking scholarship across disciplines.
Princeton's main campus covers about 600 acres in the historic town of Princeton, New Jersey, featuring a stunning blend of Gothic Revival architecture (inspired by Oxford and Cambridge), Georgian-style buildings, and modern facilities set amid lush green lawns, gardens, and woodlands. Iconic landmarks include Nassau Hall (the university's oldest building), the Princeton University Chapel (one of the largest university chapels in the world), Firestone Library, the Frist Campus Center, and the scenic Lake Carnegie and Blair Arch. The campus is highly walkable, residential-focused, and includes extensive athletic facilities, art museums (Princeton University Art Museum), and natural areas, creating a picturesque, collegiate environment about an hour from both New York City and Philadelphia.
Princeton is a private Ivy League research university governed by the Board of Trustees, a self-perpetuating body of about 40 members responsible for overall policy, finances, and strategic direction. The current president is Christopher L. Eisgruber (serving since 2013 as the 20th president), who leads the university alongside a provost and deans of its academic departments and programs. Princeton maintains one of the largest university endowments per student in the world (approximately $37.7 billion as of mid-2025), which funds its renowned need-blind, full-need-met financial aid policy (no loans for most families) and supports extensive research and operations.
Princeton offers undergraduate education through the liberal arts-focused A.B. (Bachelor of Arts) and B.S.E. (Bachelor of Science in Engineering) degrees, with no professional schools at the undergraduate level except engineering. It also has highly ranked graduate programs in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and public and international affairs (School of Public and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School legacy). The university emphasizes close faculty-student interaction, independent work (junior papers and senior theses), and interdisciplinary study, consistently ranking among the world's top universities (#1 in U.S. News National Universities 2026 for multiple years, top 10–20 globally in QS and Times Higher Education rankings). Princeton is affiliated with numerous Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, Turing Award winners, and leaders in physics, mathematics, economics, neuroscience, public policy, and more.
Princeton enrolls about 5,600 undergraduates and 3,200 graduate students, fostering a close-knit, intellectually intense, and residential community with students from all 50 states and over 100 countries. Nearly all undergraduates live on campus for four years in one of seven residential colleges (plus upperclass housing), which serve as academic and social hubs with dining, advising, events, and traditions like “eating clubs” (unique private dining and social organizations for juniors and seniors). With over 300 student organizations, 38 NCAA Division I varsity sports (strong in lacrosse, fencing, and rowing), performing arts, community service, and traditions such as Reunions weekend and the Nude Olympics (historical), the culture balances rigorous academics with strong social bonds, activism, entrepreneurship, and support for wellbeing and diversity in a beautiful, supportive college town.
Professors at Princeton University
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