Admissions Factors
What Princeton Looks For
Princeton rates 9 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
How Princeton rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
4.4%
1,868 of 42,303 applicants
Early decision admit rate
No early decision
Admitted from the waitlist
3.3%
36 of 1,086 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.96.
Frequently asked questions
What does Princeton look for in applicants?
Princeton rates 9 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
Does Princeton consider legacy status?
Princeton rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Princeton track demonstrated interest?
Princeton rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is Princeton's waitlist acceptance rate?
1,086 students stayed on the waitlist and 36 were admitted, a rate of 3.3%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
Source: Princeton’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
