Princeton University acceptance rate, SAT range and net price

One last test-optional cycle, then scores are back

Princeton paused its testing requirement in 2020 and kept the pause for several years. Applicants for fall 2027 are the final group allowed to apply without a score; for fall 2028 the SAT or ACT is required again, except for active military personnel. The university gave its reason: in five years of data, students who had sent scores did better academically at Princeton than those who had not. In the fall 2025 class, 60% of enrolled students reported an SAT and 20% an ACT.

The range 1,490 to 1,560 only covers students who chose to report a score, so it may sit higher than the whole class would. A 1,450 falls at about 7% of reporting students on our curve, below the range. For this cycle, the question is whether such a score adds anything, since Princeton says an application without scores is complete and not at a disadvantage.

Princeton: where your SAT score lands

Your SAT total

Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)

54%

Middle 50%	1,490 to 1,560
Your score is	inside the middle 50%

Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (848 SAT submitters, 288 ACT submitters). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.

Odds and net price at other universities →

New Jersey residents get no head start

The Common Data Set splits the pool by home address. For fall 2025, 229 of 4,602 New Jersey applicants were admitted (5.0%), against 1,398 of 27,134 from other states (5.2%) and 241 of 10,567 international applicants (2.3%). Being local does not help at Princeton, while applying from abroad means odds less than half the domestic rate. There is no binding round either: Single-Choice Early Action closes November 1, Regular Decision January 1, and 36 students were taken from a waiting list of 1,086 who accepted a spot.

Princeton: net price for your family income

Family income per year

$

Average net price, 2023-24

$1,217

Income band	$48,001-$75,000
Share of the 2023-24 cost	1%

Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.

Compare with other universities →

A price that falls to zero well into the middle class

Princeton is need-blind, meets full need with grants and does not expect students to borrow; 89% of recent seniors graduated debt free. Its published family contribution table reads $0 at $150,000 of income, $12,500 at $200,000 and $25,000 at $250,000, for families with assets under $175,000. The 2026-27 budget behind those figures combines $68,140 of tuition, $22,120 for housing and food, $314 of fees and $4,050 for books and personal costs.

For the Class of 2030, which arrived in September 2026, 71% of students qualified for aid and 25% for Pell grants. Compare the result with Yale and Harvard in the comparison tool.