Princeton University Academic Requirements - Crimson Education IN (2024)

FAQs

What are the academic requirements for Princeton? ›

To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1560 SAT or a 35 ACT. You should also have a 3.95 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.

The college application process can be unpredictable, and it's always smart to have options. While getting into Princeton with lower grades may be a challenge, it's not entirely impossible.

While there are no official Princeton GPA requirements, the bulk of applicants—usually around 90%—have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.75.

Princeton SAT Score Analysis

In other words, a 1500 places you below average, while a 1560 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Princeton, but they really want to see at least a 1500 to have a chance at being considered.

You don't have to have straight A's, but if you go to a second rate public school like I did...you kind of do. On the other hand, if you submit an application, your chances of admission go up infinitely; and if you get accepted here, there is absolutely no reason not to matriculate.

Is your high school GPA good enough for Princeton University ? The average high school GPA for admitted students at Princeton University is 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. (You can calculate your high school a GPA here.)

The acceptance rate at Princeton is in the low single digits. One B+ midterm grad isn't going to be the reason you do or don't get accepted. The school can't accept every one who applies.

It is important that you continue to excel in your classes during your final year of high school. If you are admitted, your counselor is asked to send us your final grades for the senior year with the final report. Admission is conditional upon your successful completion of the senior year.

Admitted Princeton University applicants maintain strong average scores. The average ACT Math score falls between the 25th and 75th percentiles of 32 and 35. Achieving a score of 34 would position an applicant among the average scorers at Princeton University.

While it's certainly possible to get into Harvard with a low GPA, as the numbers bear out, it's improbable. For the Class of 2026, a mere 2.09% of admitted students to Harvard had GPAs below 3.5. Such students often meet other institutional needs (e.g., star quarterback for the football team, development case, etc.).

Can 3.5 GPA go to Harvard? ›

A 3.5 GPA will be highly competitive, and admission can be reasonably expected at many colleges. Still, it's not the most competitive at places like Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth, which, on average, accept students with GPAs exceeding 4.0.

You will also need a competitive GPA. College Simply estimates that the average GPA of students who are admitted into Princeton is 3.87 on a 4.0 scale.

For the 12th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named Princeton the overall best university in the country. U.S. News also ranked Princeton third in undergraduate teaching (tied with Rice University), second in best value schools, fourth in best colleges for veterans, and first in senior capstone.

Please note: Princeton will use the information provided by families on the Princeton Financial Aid Application to offer admitted students a tentative aid package that meets 100% of demonstrated financial need with a grant.

Although Princeton's 2023 admissions data are not yet public, we expect this trend to continue. In 2021, Columbia edged past Princeton and Harvard to become the most competitive Ivy. However, with a current acceptance rate of 3.4%, Harvard is once again the hardest Ivy League school to get into.

Princeton accepts AP® scores of 5 (and rarely 4) for course credit. These requirements vary by department. Princeton has certain classes that everyone has to take called distribution requirements. You can't use AP® credits to get out of these distribution requirements.

Up to 4 semesters of language are required, depending on placement. Some students fulfill the language requirement through placement testing, standardized test scores, or other demonstration of native proficiency (see your assistant dean for studies).

We look for students with intellectual curiosity, who have pursued and achieved academic excellence. We also look for students with strong personal and extracurricular accomplishments. As you prepare your application, help us to appreciate your talents, academic accomplishments and personal achievements.

To get into Princeton, you must have a terrific GPA, high scores on the ACT or SAT and a record of your participation in extracurricular activities in which you have demonstrated your leadership abilities.