Princeton University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Princeton University is a private nonprofit college in Princeton, NJ. Students pay about $6,128 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $110,066 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 0.5 years and adds $598,828 over a decade, ranking it #7 of 918 (top 2%) by value added.
What is Princeton University's acceptance rate?
Princeton University has an acceptance rate of 4.6%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Princeton, NJ enrolling about 5,709 students, with a 97.4% graduation rate.
How much does Princeton University cost?
Princeton University costs about $6,128 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $34,832. Published sticker cost of attendance is $84,040 per year.
How much do Princeton University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Princeton University student earns $110,066 per year. That is $63,366 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Princeton University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Princeton University pays back its roughly $34,832 cost in about 0.5 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $598,828 net of cost, a 18.19x return on the money invested. That ranks it #7 of 918 (top 2%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by a low net price and strong graduate earnings.
Top 10% value
Princeton University graduation rate and student debt
97.4% of Princeton University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $10,320 in federal student debt. That debt is about 9% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Princeton University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Princeton University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $6,128 | $20,299 | cheaper than 97% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $110,066 | $54,768 | 99th |
| Graduation rate | 97.4% | 57.0% | 100th |
| Acceptance rate | 4.6% | 75.7% | more selective than 99% |
| 10-yr value added | $598,828 | -$28,192 | 99th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 18.19x | 0.73x | 100th |
| Payback period | 0.5 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 100% |
How Princeton University compares with its nearest rivals
Princeton University ranks #7 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: none of them costs less per year and 5 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Princeton University is a private nonprofit college in Princeton, NJ with 5,709 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $84,040 a year, but the average aided family pays $6,128, a 93% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $10,320, equal to 9% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Princeton University: 4.6% of applicants are admitted.
- MCPHS University (Boston, MA; #6 of 918; 62.7% graduate) costs $33,417 more per year ($39,545 net), and its graduates earn $15,491 more ten years out ($125,557). MCPHS University adds $6,562 more ten-year value than Princeton University. MCPHS University pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
- Babson College (Wellesley, MA; #8 of 918; 92.7% graduate) costs $34,386 more per year ($40,514 net), and its graduates earn $13,872 more ten years out ($123,938). Princeton University adds $8,504 more ten-year value than Babson College. Babson College pays back its cost in 2.4 years.
- Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Albany, NY; #5 of 918; 68.2% graduate) costs $23,754 more per year ($29,882 net), and its graduates earn $21,360 more ten years out ($131,426). Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences adds $103,404 more ten-year value than Princeton University. Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences pays back its cost in 1.7 years.
- Stanford University (Stanford, CA; #5 of 918; 92.4% graduate) costs $7,679 more per year ($13,807 net), and its graduates earn $14,014 more ten years out ($124,080). Stanford University adds $107,744 more ten-year value than Princeton University. Stanford University pays back its cost in 0.9 years.
- Bentley University (Waltham, MA; #9 of 918; 87.5% graduate) costs $31,802 more per year ($37,930 net), and its graduates earn $10,893 more ten years out ($120,959). Princeton University adds $32,981 more ten-year value than Bentley University. Bentley University pays back its cost in 2.4 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | #5 | $29,882 | $131,426 | 68.2% | $702,232 |
| Stanford University | #5 | $13,807 | $124,080 | 92.4% | $706,572 |
| MCPHS University | #6 | $39,545 | $125,557 | 62.7% | $605,390 |
| Princeton University | #7 | $6,128 | $110,066 | 97.4% | $598,828 |
| Babson College | #8 | $40,514 | $123,938 | 92.7% | $590,324 |
| Bentley University | #9 | $37,930 | $120,959 | 87.5% | $565,847 |
Paying for Princeton University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Princeton University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Princeton University ranks #7 of 918 (top 2%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 18.19x the money invested over a decade.
Is Princeton University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $6,128 average net price is below the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 97% of them.
Do Princeton University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $110,066 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 99% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Princeton University compared to other colleges?
Its 4.6% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 99% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.