This country's fourth oldest university, founded in 1746, Princeton is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the liberal arts, sciences, and engineering. Located in a suburban section of New Jersey, about equidistant from the cities of New York and Philadelphia, Princeton enrolls approximately 4,600 undergraduate and 1,750 graduate students.
Campus housing is provided for all undergraduate students.
Students from the United States normally begin a college course of study at about age 18, after having completed 12 years of elementary and secondary education. Students begin study at Princeton only in September, not in the middle of the academic year. Princeton does not offer any summer sessions. In the final two years, students continue to pursue course work but also engage seriously in independent study in a specific field or interdepartmental program. In addition, all A.B. candidates must demonstrate proficiency in English composition by taking a one-term course in any field of study that requires a significant amount of writing.