Posted on April 9, 2021

Princeton Offers Admission to 1,498 Students for the Class of 2025

Princeton University, April 6, 2021

Princeton University has offered admission to 1,498 students for the Class of 2025, including 22% who will be first-generation college students, an increase from 17% last year. Sixty-eight percent of U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the admitted group self-identified as people of color, including biracial and multiracial students. Despite the 15% increase in applications from the previous admission cycle, the University remained committed to a holistic review process.

“We were incredibly impressed by the talent displayed in this year’s record pool. As a result, we had to make extremely difficult decisions in the process of admitting a class that will come to Princeton, form a community and use what they learn to make an impact,” said Dean of Admission Karen Richardson, a Princeton Class of 1993 alumnus. “In what was a very challenging year, these students showed great resilience, and through their applications they showed a real desire to engage with others in the types of discussions that make Princeton such a dynamic environment.”

The University’s undergraduate admission office has mailed letters to students admitted in the regular-decision applicant pool, and applicants will be able to see their decisions via secure online access starting today at 7 p.m. EDT. Close to 100 students were admitted in December 2020 through the QuestBridge National College Match program, which is a binding admission process at Princeton.

The Admission Office suspended its single-choice early action program for fall 2021 entry due to the pandemic and the many disruptions to their high school coursework experienced by students around the world. The early action admission program will be reinstated for next year’s cycle.

For the Class of 2025, Princeton received 37,601 applications through the regular decision program. The applicant pool included students from among 12,298 high schools from 164 countries.

Of the students offered admission, 52% are women and 48% are men. Sixty-four percent of the admitted students come from public schools. Twenty-four percent of admitted students indicated they want to study engineering, and 15% are interested in studying the humanities. Seven percent of admitted students indicated they were undecided. Children of Princeton alumni account for 10% of the admitted students.

The students come from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and are citizens of 74 countries. International students represent 14% of the admitted students.

Due to widespread lack of access to testing sites, Princeton did not require applicants to submit standardized test scores this year. This optional testing requirement will extend to the 2021-22 application cycle.

Growing partnerships with college access groups

The Admission Office continues to expand its relationships with college access groups that support lower-income students, first-generation students and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, including QuestBridgeLeadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) and the Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP). During the last  year, the Office of Admission hosted approximately 90 virtual programs with community-based organizations around the world. The Office also continues to work closely with EducationUSA, a U.S. Department of State network that supports international students hoping to study at postsecondary institutions in the United States.

Last summer, the Admission Office participated in a virtual college block party program that more than 4,300 FLI (first-generation, lower-income) students and parents attended. The event was hosted by College Greenlight, an access partner that aims to provide traditionally underrepresented students with the information they need to make informed decisions about college. College Greenlight also brings together college counselors and admission professionals to strategize around access initiatives and best practices.

Princeton is a member of the American Talent Initiative (ATI), a national effort to expand college access and opportunity for talented low- and moderate-income students. ATI aims to attract, enroll and graduate an additional 50,000 lower-income students by 2025.

Princeton also recently reinstated a transfer admission program, which particularly encourages applications from students from lower-income backgrounds, community college students and U.S. military veterans. The deadline for transfer applicants was March 1; transfer candidates will receive admission decisions in mid-May. Approximately 12 transfer students are expected to enroll in fall 2021.

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