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Princeton, New Jersey (55144921890)Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Princeton

Princeton is a college town: 29 of every 100 residents are students

Princeton University (8,922 students on campus) and Princeton Theological Seminary (274) are inside the town. Across New Jersey, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town29% of residents are studentsPrinceton University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Princeton. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
6
27,091 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Princeton University
Residents in college
29%
Above NJ (6%)
Nearest community college
7.2 mi
Mercer County · $5,310 tuition
Nearest public university
8.6 mi
The College of New Jersey · $19,632 in-state
Students on campus in Princeton
9,196
next to 31,469 residents

What stands out about college in Princeton

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town29 of every 100 Princeton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.A university in PrincetonPrinceton University has 8,922 students on campus in Princeton, 98% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 7.2 miles awayMercer County Community College in West Windsor: tuition and fees $5,310 a year for New Jersey residents.In-state price at The College of New JerseyLiving in New Jersey, The College of New Jersey charges $19,632 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $25,752. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Princeton

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

29 of every 100 Princeton residents are in college (NJ: 6).

9,196students on campus at Princeton’s 2 colleges, next to 31,469 residents (dorm students count as residents)
2,114college students live in Princeton households rather than dorms
28.5median age · NJ 40.1
45%of homes rented · NJ 36%
$2,636median rent · 53% above the state
PrincetonPrinceton, NJ
Cost of living$2,636/mo median rentD−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIA−HealthCDC estimatesA+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundAHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Princeton’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 6.1% of Princeton residents are below the poverty line, 4.5% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 22% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (29% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Princeton’s median age is 28.5 (New Jersey 40.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Princeton

Four private colleges within 14.1 miles, one public college within 8.6 miles, and Mercer County Community College 7.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miPrinceton UniversityThe College of New JerseyMercer CountyPrinceton
University or collegeCommunity college
Princeton UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 8,922 on campus · In Princeton5%admitted$6knet price98%graduate$110kearningsPrinceton Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 274 on campus · In PrincetonGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Rider UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,684 on campus · 6.6 mi · Lawrenceville79%admitted$25knet price61%graduate$62kearningsMercer County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,416 on campus · 7.2 mi · West Windsor$5knet price25%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $5,310 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.The College of New JerseyUniversity or college · Public · 7,570 on campus · 8.6 mi · Ewing62%admitted$28knet price86%graduate$73kearningsChamberlain University-New JerseyUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,225 on campus · 14.1 mi · North Brunswick100%admitted$38knet price33%graduate$92kearningsEarnings are reported for all 15 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where Princeton’s median household income ($192,079) falls.

Mercer County Community College7.2 mi · West Windsor · sticker $12,545 · tuition $5,310$12,545a year
Rider University6.6 mi · Lawrenceville · sticker $55,967$31,574a year
The College of New Jersey8.6 mi · Ewing · sticker $38,860$35,222a year
Princeton UniversityIn Princeton · sticker $84,040$36,094a year
Chamberlain University-New Jersey14.1 mi · North Brunswick · sticker $38,904$37,754a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Princeton: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k$120k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Princeton UniversityRider UniversityMercer CountyThe College of New JerseyChamberlain University-New Jersey
Princeton University98% graduate$110k earnings$10k typical debt
The College of New Jersey86% graduate$73k earnings$23k typical debt
Mercer County Community College25% graduate$43k earnings$10k typical debt
Rider University61% graduate$62k earnings$26k typical debt
Chamberlain University-New Jersey33% graduate$92k earnings*$21k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Chamberlain University-New Jersey (15).

Majors

What students study in Princeton

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Princeton University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Social sciences 20%Engineering 18%Computer science 15%Biology 10%Public administration 9%Physical sciences 6%Everything else 23%

Biggest programs

Computer Science201 graduates a year
$218k4 yrs out
Economics132 graduates a year
$161k4 yrs out
Public Policy Analysis114 graduates a year
$108k4 yrs out
History72 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government57 graduates a year
$89k4 yrs out
Research and Experimental Psychology50 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering45 graduates a year
$116k4 yrs out
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology37 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Princeton

Is Princeton a college town?

Yes. 29 of every 100 Princeton residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across New Jersey. Princeton University has 8,922 students on campus, next to 31,469 residents.

What colleges are in Princeton?

Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary are inside the town. Mercer County Community College is 7.2 miles away in West Windsor.

Why is Princeton’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 6.1% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 4.5% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

What is the closest community college to Princeton, and what does it cost?

Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, 7.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,310 a year for New Jersey residents; the federal net price, $5,279, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Princeton University?

Princeton University admitted 5% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,510–1,580 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Princeton. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →