Princeton University Princeton University is a private , Ivy League , research university located in Princeton , New Jersey , United States . It is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League , and one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution . Princeton provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities , social sciences , natural science s and engineering . Princeton does not have schools of medicine , law , divinity , or business , but it does offer professional degrees through the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs , the Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Architecture . Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth , New Jersey , as the College of New Jersey , the university moved to Newark in 1747 , then to Princeton in 1756 and was renamed Princeton University in 1896 . The present - day College of New Jersey in nearby Ewing Township , New Jersey , is an unrelated institution . Princeton was the fourth chartered institution of higher education in the American colonies . The university has ties with the Institute for Advanced Study , Princeton Theological Seminary , and the Westminster Choir College of Rider University . Princeton has been associated with 35 Nobel Laureates , 17 National Medal of Science winners , and three National Humanities Medal winners . On a per - student basis , Princeton has the largest university endowment in the world . History . New Light Presbyterians founded the College of New Jersey , later Princeton University , in 1746 in order to train ministers . The college was the educational and religious capital of Scots - Irish America . In 1756 , the college moved to Princeton , New Jersey . Its home in Princeton was Nassau Hall , named for the royal house of William III of England . Following the untimely deaths of Princeton ' s first five presidents , John Witherspoon became president in 1768 and remained in that office until his death in 1794 . During his presidency , Witherspoon shifted the college ' s focus from training ministers to preparing a new generation for leadership in the new American nation . To this end , he tightened academic standards and solicited investment in the college . Witherspoon ' s presidency constituted a long period of stability for the college , interrupted by the American Revolution and particularly the Battle of Princeton , during which British soldiers briefly occupied Nassau Hall ; American forces , led by George Washington , fired cannon on the building to rout them from it . Before the construction of Stanhope Hall in 1803 , Nassau Hall was the college ' s sole building . The cornerstone of the building was laid on September 17 , 1754 . During the summer of 1783 , the Continental Congress met in Nassau Hall , making Princeton the country ' s capital for four months . Over the centuries and through two redesigns following major fires , ( 1802 and 1855 ) Nassau Hall ' s role shifted from an all - purpose building , comprising office , dormitory , library , and classroom space ; to classroom space exclusively ; to its present role as the administrative center of the University . The class of 1879 donated twin lion sculptures that flanked the entrance until 1911 , when that same class replaced them with tigers . Nassau Hall ' s iconic bell rang after the halls construction however the fire of 1802 melted the bell . The bell was then recast and melted again in the fire of 1855 . James McCosh took office as the college ' s president in 1868 and lifted the institution out of a low period that had been brought about by the American Civil War . During his two decades of service , he overhauled the curriculum , oversaw an expansion of inquiry into the sciences , and supervised the addition of a number of buildings in the High Victorian Gothic style to the campus . McCosh Hall is named in his honor . In 1879 , the first thesis for a Ph . D . was submitted by James F . Williamson , Class of 1877 . In 1896 , the college officially changed its name from the College of New Jersey to Princeton University to honor the town in which it resides . During this year , the college also underwent large expansion and officially became a university . In 1900 , the Graduate School was established . In 1902 , Woodrow Wilson , graduate of the Class of 1879 , is elected the 13th president of the university . Under Wilson , Princeton introduced the preceptorial system in 1905 , a then - unique concept that augmented the standard lecture method of teaching with a more personal form in which small groups of students , or precepts , could interact with a single instructor , or preceptor , in their field of interest . In 1906 , Lake Carnegie was created by Andrew Carnegie . A collection of Historical photographs of the building of the lake is housed at the Seeley G . Mudd Manuscript Library on Princeton ' s campus . On October 2 , 1913 , the Princeton University Graduate College was dedicated . In 1919 the School of Architecture was established . In 1933 , Albert Einstein became a lifetime member of the Institute for Advanced Study with an office on the Princeton campus . Coeducation at Princeton University . In 1969 , Princeton University first admitted women as undergraduates . In 1887 , the university had actually maintained and staffed a sister college , Evelyn College for Women , in the town of Princeton on Evelyn and Nassau streets . It was closed after roughly a decade of operation . After abortive discussions with Sarah Lawrence College to relocate the women ' s college to Princeton and merge it with the University in 1967 , the administration decided to admit women and turned to the issue of transforming the school ' s operations and facilities into a female - friendly campus . The administration had barely finished these plans in April 1969 when the admissions office began mailing out its acceptance letters . Its five - year coeducation plan provided $ 7 . 8 million for the development of new facilities that would eventually house and educate 650 women students at Princeton by 1974 . Ultimately , 148 women , consisting of 100 freshmen and transfer students of other years , entered Princeton on September 6 , 1969 amidst much media attention . ( Princeton enrolled its first female graduate student , Sabra Follett Meserve , as a PhD candidate in Turkish history in 1961 . A handful of undergraduate women had studied at Princeton from 1963 on , spending their junior year there to study " critical languages " in which Princeton ' s offerings surpassed those of their home institutions . They were considered regular students for their year on campus , but were not candidates for a Princeton degree . ) As a result of a 1979 lawsuit by Sally Frank , Princeton ' s eating clubs were required to go coeducational in 1991 , after Tiger Inn ' s appeal to the U . S . Supreme Court was denied . Campus . The main campus sits on about in Princeton . The James Forrestal Campus is split between nearby Plainsboro and South Brunswick . The University also owns some property in West Windsor Township . The campuses are situated about one hour from both New York City and Philadelphia . The first building on campus was Nassau Hall , completed in 1756 , and situated on the northern edge of campus facing Nassau Street . The campus expanded steadily around Nassau Hall during the early and middle 19th century . The McCosh presidency ( 1868 – 88 ) saw the construction of a number of buildings in the High Victorian Gothic and Romanesque Revival styles ; many of them are now gone , leaving the remaining few to appear out of place . At the end of the 19th century Princeton adopted the Collegiate Gothic style for which it is known today . Implemented initially by William Appleton Potter and later enforced by the University ' s supervising architect , Ralph Adams Cram , the Collegiate Gothic style remained the standard for all new building on the Princeton campus through 1960 . A flurry of construction in the 1960s produced a number of new buildings on the south side of the main campus , many of which have been poorly received . Several prominent architects have contributed some more recent additions , including Frank Gehry ( Lewis Library ) , I . M . Pei ( Spelman Halls ) , Demetri Porphyrios ( Whitman College , a Collegiate Gothic project ) , Robert Venturi ( Frist Campus Center , among several others ) , and Rafael Viñoly ( Carl Icahn Laboratory ) . A group of 20th - century sculptures scattered throughout the campus forms the Putnam Collection of Sculpture . It includes works by Alexander Calder ( " Five Disks : One Empty " ) , Jacob Epstein ( " Albert Einstein " ) , Henry Moore ( " Oval With Points " ) , Isamu Noguchi ( " White Sun " ) , and Pablo Picasso ( " Head of a Woman " ) . Richard Serra ' s " The Hedgehog and The Fox " is located between Peyton and Fine halls next to Princeton Stadium and the Lewis Library . At the southern edge of the campus is Lake Carnegie , a man - made lake named for Andrew Carnegie . Carnegie financed the lake ' s construction in 1906 at the behest of a friend who was a Princeton alumnus . Carnegie hoped the opportunity to take up rowing would inspire Princeton students to forsake football , which he considered " not gentlemanly . " The Shea Rowing Center on the lake ' s shore continues to serve as the headquarters for Princeton rowing . Cannon Green . Buried in the ground at the center of the lawn south of Nassau Hall is the " Big Cannon , " which was left in Princeton by British troops as they fled following the Battle of Princeton . It remained in Princeton until the War of 1812 , when it was brought to New Brunswick . In 1836 the cannon was returned to Princeton and placed at the eastern end of town . It was removed to the campus under cover of night by Princeton students in 1838 and buried in its current location in 1840 . A second " Little Cannon " is buried in the lawn in front of nearby Whig Hall . This cannon , which may also have been captured in the Battle of Princeton , was stolen by students of Rutgers University in 1875 . The theft ignited the Rutgers - Princeton Cannon War . A compromise between the presidents of Princeton and Rutgers ended the war and forced the return of the Little Cannon to Princeton . The protruding cannons are occasionally painted scarlet by Rutgers students who continue the traditional dispute . In years when the Princeton football team beats the teams of both Harvard University and Yale University in the same season , Princeton celebrates with a bonfire on Cannon Green . This occurred most recently in 2012 , ending a five - year drought . Buildings . Nassau Hall . Nassau Hall is the oldest building on campus . Begun in 1754 and completed in 1756 , it was the first seat of the New Jersey Legislature in 1776 , was involved in the battle of Princeton in 1777 , and was the seat of the Congress of the Confederation ( and thus capitol of the United States ) from June 30 , 1783 to November 4 , 1783 . It now houses the office of the university president and other administrative offices , and remains the symbolic center of the campus . The front entrance is flanked by two bronze tigers , a gift of the Princeton Class of 1879 . Commencement is held on the front lawn of Nassau Hall in good weather . In 1966 , Nassau Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places . Residential colleges . Princeton has six undergraduate residential college s , each housing approximately 500 freshmen , sophomores , some juniors and seniors , and a handful of junior and senior resident advisers . Each college consists of a set of dormitories , a dining hall , a variety of other amenities — such as study spaces , libraries , performance spaces , and darkrooms — and a collection of administrators and associated faculty . Two colleges , Wilson College and Forbes College ( formerly Princeton Inn College ) , date to the 1970s ; three others , Rockefeller , Mathey , and Butler Colleges , were created in 1983 following the Committee on Undergraduate Residential Life ( CURL ) report , which suggested the institution of residential colleges as a solution to an allegedly fragmented campus social life . The construction of Whitman College , the university ' s sixth residential college , was completed in 2007 . Rockefeller and Mathey are located in the northwest corner of the campus ; Princeton brochures often feature their Collegiate Gothic architecture . Like most of Princeton ' s Gothic buildings , they predate the residential college system and were fashioned into colleges from individual dormitories . Wilson and Butler , located south of the center of the campus , were built in the 1960s . Wilson served as an early experiment in the establishment of the residential college system . Butler , like Rockefeller and Mathey , consisted of a collection of ordinary dorms ( called the " New New Quad " ) before the addition of a dining hall made it a residential college . Widely disliked for their edgy modernist design , the dormitories on the Butler Quad were demolished in 2007 . Butler is now reopened as a four year residential college , housing both under - and upperclassmen . Forbes is located on the site of the historic Princeton Inn , a gracious hotel overlooking the Princeton golf course . The Princeton Inn , originally constructed in 1924 , played regular host to important symposia and gatherings of renowned scholars from both the university and the nearby Institute for Advanced Study for many years . Forbes currently houses over 400 undergraduates and a number of resident graduate students in its residential halls . Butler and most of Forbes are in a different municipality , Princeton Township , from the rest of the main campus , which is in Princeton Borough . In 2003 , Princeton broke ground for a sixth college named Whitman College after its principal sponsor , Meg Whitman , who graduated from Princeton in 1977 . The new dormitories were constructed in the Collegiate Gothic architectural style and were designed by architect Demetri Porphyrios . Construction finished in 2007 , and Whitman College was inaugurated as Princeton ' s sixth residential college that same year . The precursor of the present college system in America was originally proposed by university president Woodrow Wilson in the early 20th century . For over 800 years , however , the collegiate system had already existed in Britain at Oxford University and Cambridge University . Wilson ' s model was much closer to Yale ' s present system , which features four - year colleges . Lacking the support of the trustees , the plan languished until 1968 . That year , Wilson College was established to cap a series of alternatives to the eating clubs . Fierce debates raged before the present residential college system emerged . The plan was first attempted at Yale , but the administration was initially uninterested ; an exasperated alum , Edward Harkness , finally paid to have the college system implemented at Harvard in the 1920s , leading to the oft - quoted aphorism that the college system is a Princeton idea that was executed at Harvard with funding from Yale . Princeton has one graduate residential college , known simply as the Graduate College , located beyond Forbes College at the outskirts of campus . The far - flung location of the G . C . was the spoil of a squabble between Woodrow Wilson and then - Graduate School Dean Andrew Fleming West . Wilson preferred a central location for the College ; West wanted the graduate students as far as possible from the campus . Ultimately , West prevailed . The Graduate College is composed of a large Collegiate Gothic section crowned by Cleveland Tower , a local landmark that also houses a world - class carillon . The attached New Graduate College departs in its design from Collegiate Gothic ; it is reminiscent of the former dormitories of Butler College , the newest of the five pre - Whitman residential colleges . McCarter Theatre . The Tony - award - winning McCarter Theatre was built by the Princeton Triangle Club , a student performance group , using club profits and a gift from Princeton University alumnus Thomas McCarter . Today , the Triangle Club performs its annual freshmen revue and spring musicals in McCarter . McCarter is also recognized as one of the leading regional theaters in the United States . Art Museum . The Princeton University Art Museum was established in 1882 to give students direct , intimate , and sustained access to original works of art that complement and enrich instruction and research at the university . This continues to be a primary function , along with serving as a community resource and a destination for national and international visitors . Numbering over 72 , 000 objects , the collections range from ancient to contemporary art and concentrate geographically on the Mediterranean regions , Western Europe , China , the United States , and Latin America . There is a collection of Greek and Roman antiquities , including ceramics , marbles , bronzes , and Roman mosaics from faculty excavations in Antioch . Medieval Europe is represented by sculpture , metalwork , and stained glass . The collection of Western European paintings includes examples from the early Renaissance through the 19th century , with masterpieces by Monet , Cézanne , and Van Gogh , and features a growing collection of 20th - century and contemporary art , including iconic paintings such as Andy Warhol ' s Blue Marilyn . One of the best features of the museums is its collection of Chinese art , with important holdings in bronzes , tomb figurines , painting , and calligraphy . Its collection of pre - Columbian art includes examples of Mayan art , and is commonly considered to be the most important collection of Pre - Columbian art outside of Latin America . The museum has collections of old master prints and drawings and a comprehensive collection of over 27 , 000 original photographs . African art and Northwest Coast Indian art are also represented . The Museum also oversees the outdoor Putnam Collection of Sculpture . University Chapel . The Princeton University Chapel is located on the north side of campus , near Nassau Street . It was built between 1924 and 1928 , at a cost of US $ 2 . 3 million , approximately US $ million in 2017 dollars . Ralph Adams Cram , the University ' s supervising architect , designed the Chapel , which he viewed as the crown jewel for the Collegiate Gothic motif he had championed for the campus . At the time of its construction , it was the second largest university chapel in the world , after King ' s College Chapel , Cambridge . It underwent a two - year , US $ 10 million restoration campaign between 2000 and 2002 . Measured on the exterior , the Chapel is long , wide at its transepts , and high . The exterior is Pennsylvania sandstone , with Indiana limestone used for the trim . The interior is mostly limestone and Aquia Creek sandstone . The design evokes an English church of the Middle Ages . The extensive iconography , in stained glass , stonework , and wood carvings , has the common theme of connecting religion and scholarship . The Chapel seats almost 2 , 000 . It hosts weekly ecumenical Christian services , daily Roman Catholic mass , and several annual special events . Murray Dodge Hall . Murray Dodge Hall houses the Office of Religious Life ( ORL ) , the Murray Dodge Theater , the Murray Dodge Cafe , the Muslim Prayer Room , and the Interfaith Prayer Room . The ORL houses the office of the Dean of Religious Life , Alison Boden , and a number of university chaplains , including the country ' s first Hindu chaplain , Vineet Chander ; and one of the country ' s first Muslim chaplains , Sohaib Sultan . Apartment facilities . Princeton university has several apartment facilities for graduate students and their dependents . They are Butler Apartments , Lawrence Apartments , and Stanworth Apartments . Sustainability . Published in 2008 , Princeton ' s Sustainability Plan highlights three priority areas for the University ' s Office of Sustainability : reduction of greenhouse gas emissions ; conservation of resources ; and research , education , and civic engagement . Princeton has committed to reducing its carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 without the purchase of offsets . The University published its first Sustainability Progress Report in November 2009 . The University has adopted a green purchasing policy and recycling program that focuses on paper products , construction materials , lightbulbs , furniture , and electronics . Its dining halls have set a goal to purchase 20 % sustainable food products . The student organization " Greening Princeton " seeks to encourage the University administration to adopt environmentally friendly policies on campus . Organization . The Trustees of Princeton University , a 40 - member board , is responsible for the overall direction of the University . It approves the operating and capital budgets , supervises the investment of the University ' s endowment and oversees campus real estate and long - range physical planning . The trustees also exercise prior review and approval concerning changes in major policies , such as those in instructional programs and admission , as well as tuition and fees and the hiring of faculty members . With an endowment of US $ 17 . 1 billion , Princeton University is among the wealthiest universities in the world . Ranked in 2010 as the third largest endowment in the United States , the university has the greatest per - student endowment in the world ( over US $ 2 million for undergraduates ) . Such a significant endowment is sustained through the continued donations of its alumni and is maintained by investment advisers . Some of Princeton ' s wealth is invested in its art museum , which features works by Claude Monet , Vincent van Gogh , Jackson Pollock , and Andy Warhol among other prominent artists . Academics . Undergraduates fulfill general education requirements , choose among a wide variety of elective courses , and pursue departmental concentrations and interdisciplinary certificate programs . Required independent work is a hallmark of undergraduate education at Princeton . Students graduate with either the Bachelor of Arts ( A . B . ) or the Bachelor of Science in engineering ( B . S . E . ) . The graduate school offers advanced degrees spanning the humanities , social sciences , natural sciences , and engineering . Doctoral education is available in all disciplines . It emphasizes original and independent scholarship whereas master ' s degree programs in architecture , engineering , finance , and public affairs and public policy prepare candidates for careers in public life and professional practice . Undergraduate . Undergraduate courses in the humanities are traditionally either seminars or lectures held 2 or 3 times a week with an additional discussion seminar that is called a " precept . " To graduate , all A . B . candidates must complete a senior thesis and , in most departments , one or two extensive pieces of independent research that are known as " junior papers . " Juniors in some departments , including architecture and the creative arts , complete independent projects that differ from written research papers . A . B . candidates must also fulfill a three or four semester foreign language requirement and distribution requirements with a total of 31 classes . B . S . E . candidates follow a parallel track with an emphasis on a rigorous science and math curriculum , a computer science requirement , and at least two semesters of independent research including an optional senior thesis . All B . S . E . students must complete at least 36 classes . A . B . candidates typically have more freedom in course selection than B . S . E . candidates because of the fewer number of required classes . Nonetheless , in the spirit of a liberal arts education , both enjoy a comparatively high degree of latitude in creating a self - structured curriculum . Undergraduates agree to adhere to an academic integrity policy called the Honor Code , established in 1893 . Under the Honor Code , faculty do not proctor examinations ; instead , the students proctor one another and must report any suspected violation to an Honor Committee made up of undergraduates . The Committee investigates reported violations and holds a hearing if it is warranted . An acquittal at such a hearing results in the destruction of all records of the hearing ; a conviction results in the student ' s suspension or expulsion . The signed pledge required by the Honor Code is so integral to students ' academic experience that the Princeton Triangle Club performs a song about it each fall . Out - of - class exercises fall under the jurisdiction of the Faculty - Student Committee on Discipline . Undergraduates are expected to sign a pledge on their written work affirming that they have not plagiarized the work . Admissions and financial aid . Princeton ' s undergraduate program is highly selective , admitting 7 . 86 % of undergraduate applicants in the 2011 – 12 admissions cycle ( for the Class of 2016 ) . In September 2006 , the university announced that all applicants for the Class of 2012 would be considered in a single pool . In this way , the early decision program was effectively ended . In February 2011 , following decisions by the University of Virginia and Harvard University to reinstate their early admissions programs , Princeton announced it would institute an early action program , starting with applicants for the Class of 2016 . In 2011 , the Business Journal rated Princeton as the most selective college in the Eastern United States in terms of admission selectivity . In 2001 , expanding on earlier reforms , Princeton became the first university to eliminate loans for all students who qualify for financial aid . All demonstrated need is met with combinations of grants and campus jobs . In addition , all admissions are need - blind . " U . S . News & World Report " and Princeton Review both cite Princeton as the university that has the fewest of graduates with debt even though 60 % of incoming students are on some type of financial aid . " Kiplinger " magazine ranks Princeton as the best value among private universities , noting that the average graduating debt is US $ 4 , 957 , " about one fifth the average debt of students who borrow at all private schools . " Grade deflation policy . In 2004 , Nancy Weiss Malkiel , the Dean of the College , implemented a grade deflation policy to curb the number of A - range grades undergraduates received . Malkiel ' s argument was that an A was beginning to lose its meaning as a larger percentage of the student body received them . While the number of A ' s has indeed decreased under the policy , many argue that this is hurting Princeton students when they apply to jobs or graduate school . Malkiel has said that she sent pamphlets to inform institutions about the policy so that they consider Princeton students equally , but students argue that Princeton graduates can apply to other institutions that know nothing about it . They argue further that as other schools purposefully inflate their grades , Princeton students ' GPAs will look low by comparison . Further , studies have shown that employers prefer high grades even when they are inflated . The policy remained in place even after Malkiel stepped down at the end of the 2010 – 2011 school year . The policy deflates grades only relative to their previous levels ; indeed , as of 2009 , or five years after the policy was instituted , the average graduating GPA saw a marginal decrease , from 3 . 46 to 3 . 39 . Graduate . Princeton offers postgraduate research degrees in many fields in the social sciences , engineering , natural sciences , and humanities . Although Princeton offers professional graduate degrees in engineering , architecture , and finance , it has no medical school , law school , or business school like other research universities . The university ' s most famous professional school is the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs , founded in 1930 as the School of Public and International Affairs and renamed in 1948 after university president ( and US President ) Woodrow Wilson . Libraries . The university ' s library system houses over eleven million holdings including six million bound volumes . The main university library , Firestone Library , which houses almost four million volumes , is one of the largest university libraries in the world and among the largest " open stack " libraries in existence . Its collections include the Blickling homilies . In addition to Firestone library , many individual disciplines have their own libraries , including architecture , art history , East Asian studies , engineering , geology , international affairs and public policy , Near Eastern studies , and psychology . Seniors in some departments can register for enclosed carrels in the main library for workspace and the private storage of books and research materials . In February 2007 , Princeton became the 12th major library system to join Google ' s ambitious project to scan the world ' s great literary works and make them searchable over the Web . Rankings . From 2001 to 2012 , Princeton University was ranked either first or second among national universities by " U . S . News & World Report " ( USNWR ) , holding the No . 1 spot for 10 of those 12 years . After being at second place in 2008 - 9 , Princeton returned to the number one spot in 2010 , tying with Harvard University . It has been ranked sixth among world universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University , In the 2012 Times Higher Education World University Rankings Princeton was ranked 6th in the world . In the 2012 " QS World University Rankings " it was ranked 9th overall in the world , making it 5th among US universities . Its three highest subject rankings were : 7th in Arts & Humanities , 8th in Natural Sciences , and 12th in Social Sciences . In THE ' s 2012 - 2013 World University Ranking of Universities , Princeton placed 2nd above MIT and behind Caltech in Engineering and Technology . Princeton was ranked 7th among 300 Best World Universities in 2011 compiled by Human Resources & Labor Review ( HRLR ) on Measurements of World ' s Top 300 Universities Graduates ' Performance . In the " America ' s Best Colleges " rankings by " Forbes " in 2012 , Princeton University was ranked first among all national colleges and universities . The " Forbes " ranking also takes into consideration national awards won by students and faculty , as well as number of alumni in the 2008 " Who ' s Who in America " register . Princeton Graduate School programs are also highly ranked among universities in the United States . In the 2009 " U . S . News & World Report " " Graduate School Rankings " , all fourteen of Princeton ' s doctoral programs evaluated were ranked in their respective top 20 , 7 of them in the top 5 , and 4 of them in the top spot ( Mathematics , Economics , History , Political Science ) . In " Princeton Review " ' s rankings of " softer " aspects of students ' college experience , Princeton University was ranked first in " Students Happy with Financial Aid " and third in " Happiest Students " , behind Clemson and Brown Universities . The university ' s individual academic departments have been highly ranked in their respective fields . The Department of Psychology has been ranked fifth in the nation and its individual graduate programs have received high national rankings as well . The behavioral neuroscience program has been ranked sixth and the social psychology program has been ranked seventh . The Department of History is currently ranked first in the world . Princeton University also participates in the ( NAICU ) ' s University and College Accountability Network ( U - CAN ) . Princeton University has an IBM BlueGeneL supercomputer , called " Orangena " , which was ranked as the 89th fastest computer in the world in 2005 ( LINPACK performance of 4713 compared to 12250 for other U . S . universities and 280600 for the top - ranked supercomputer , belonging to the U . S . Department of Energy ) . Student life and culture . University housing is guaranteed to all undergraduates for all four years . More than 98 percent of students live on campus in dormitories . Freshmen and sophomores must live in residential college s , while juniors and seniors typically live in designated upperclassman dormitories . The actual dormitories are comparable , but only residential colleges have dining halls . Nonetheless , any undergraduate may purchase a meal plan and eat in a residential college dining hall . Recently , upperclassmen have been given the option of remaining in their college for all four years . Juniors and seniors also have the option of living off - campus , but high rent in the Princeton area encourages almost all students to live in university housing . Undergraduate social life revolves around the residential colleges and a number of coeducational eating clubs , which students may choose to join in the spring of their sophomore year . Eating clubs , which are not officially affiliated with the university , serve as dining halls and communal spaces for their members and also host social events throughout the academic year . Princeton ' s six residential colleges host a variety of social events and activities , guest speakers , and trips . The residential colleges also sponsor trips to New York for undergraduates to see ballets , operas , Broadway shows , sports events , and other activities . The eating clubs , located on Prospect Avenue , are co - ed organizations for upperclassmen . Most upperclassmen eat their meals at one of the eleven eating clubs . Additionally , the clubs serve as evening and weekend social venues for members and guests . Princeton hosts two Model United Nations conferences , PMUNC in the fall for high school students and PICSim in the spring for college students . It also hosts the Princeton Invitational Speech and Debate tournament each year at the end of November . Princeton also runs Princeton Model Congress , an event that is held once a year in mid - November . The 4 - day conference has high school students from around the country as participants . Although the school ' s admissions policy is need blind , Princeton , based on the proportion of students who receive Pell Grants , was ranked as a school with little economic diversity among all national universities ranked by " U . S . News & World Report " . While Pell figures are widely used as a gauge of the number of low - income undergraduates on a given campus , the rankings article cautions " the proportion of students on Pell Grants isn ' t a perfect measure of an institution ' s efforts to achieve economic diversity , " but goes on to say that " still , many experts say that Pell figures are the best available gauge of how many low - income undergrads there are on a given campus . " Athletics . Princeton supports organized athletics at three levels : varsity intercollegiate , club intercollegiate , and intramural . It also provides " a variety of physical education and recreational programs " for members of the Princeton community . According to the athletics program ' s mission statement , Princeton aims for its students who participate in athletics to be " ' student athletes ' in the fullest sense of the phrase . " Most undergraduates participate in athletics at some level . Princeton ' s colors are orange and black . The school ' s athletes are known as " Tigers " , and the mascot is a tiger . The Princeton administration considered naming the mascot in 2007 , but the effort was dropped in the face of alumni opposition . Varsity . Princeton is an NCAA Division I school . Its athletic conference is the Ivy League . Princeton hosts 38 men ' s and women ' s varsity sports . The largest varsity sport is rowing , with almost 150 athletes . Princeton ' s football team has a long and storied history . Princeton played against Rutgers University in the first intercollegiate football game in the U . S . on Nov 6 , 1869 . By a score of 6 – 4 , Rutgers won the game , which was played by rules similar to modern rugby . Today Princeton is a member of the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA Division I . As of the end of the 2010 season , Princeton had won 26 national football championships , more than any other school . The men ' s basketball program is noted for its success under Pete Carril , the head coach from 1967 to 1996 . During this time , Princeton won 13 Ivy League titles and made 11 NCAA tournament appearances . Carril introduced the Princeton offense , an offensive strategy that has since been adopted by a number of college and professional basketball teams . Carril ' s final victory at Princeton came when the Tigers beat UCLA , the defending national champion , in the opening round of the 1996 NCAA tournament , in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of the tournament . Recently Princeton tied the record for the fewest points in a Division I game since the institution of the three - point line in 1986 – 87 , when the Tigers scored 21 points in a loss against Monmouth University on Dec 14 , 2005 . The men ' s water polo team is currently a dominant force in the Collegiate Water Polo Association , having reached the Final Four in two of the last three years . Similarly , the men ' s lacrosse program enjoyed a period of dominance 1992 – 2001 , during which time it won six national championships . Club and intramural . In addition to varsity sports , Princeton hosts about 35 club sports teams . Princeton ' s rugby team is organized as a club sport . Each year , nearly 300 teams participate in intramural sports at Princeton . Intramurals are open to members of Princeton ' s faculty , staff , and students , though a team representing a residential college or eating club must consist only of members of that college or club . Several leagues with differing levels of competitiveness are available . Songs . Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement , convocation , and athletic games is Princeton Cannon Song , the Princeton University fight song . Bob Dylan wrote " Day of The Locusts " about his experience of receiving an honorary doctorate from the University . It is a reference to the negative experience he had and it mentions the cicada infestation of Princeton . " Old Nassau " . " " has been Princeton University ' s anthem since 1859 . Its words were written that year by a freshman , Harlan Page Peck , and published in the March issue of the " Nassau Literary Review " ( the oldest student publication at Princeton and also the second oldest undergraduate literary magazine in the country ) . The words and music appeared together for the first time in " Songs of Old Nassau " , published in April 1859 . Before the Langlotz tune was written , the song was sung to " Auld Lang Syne " ' s melody , which also fits . However , Old Nassau does not only refer to the university ' s anthem . It can also refer to Nassau Hall , the building that was built in 1756 and named after William III of the House of Orange - Nassau . When built , it was the largest college building in North America . It served briefly as the capitol of the United States when the Continental Congress convened there in the summer of 1783 . By metonymy , the term can refer to the university as a whole . Finally , it can also refer to a chemical reaction that is dubbed " Old Nassau reaction " because the solution turns orange and then black . Notable alumni and faculty . U . S . Presidents James Madison and Woodrow Wilson graduated from Princeton , as did Michelle Obama , the current First Lady of the United States . Former Chief Justice of the United States Oliver Ellsworth was an alumnus , as are current U . S . Supreme Court Associate Justices Samuel Alito , Elena Kagan , and Sonia Sotomayor . Notable graduates of Princeton ' s School of Engineering and Applied Science include Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos , Google executive Eric Schmidt , and Lisa P . Jackson , Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency . Actor Jimmy Stewart graduated from Princeton . Writers F . Scott Fitzgerald and Eugene O ' Neill attended but did not graduate ; Selden Edwards and Will Stanton graduated with English degrees . Notable graduate alumni include Richard Feynman , John Nash , Alan Mathison Turing and David Petraeus . Royals such as Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad , Prince Moulay Hicham of Morocco and Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud , among other royals and nobles , also have attended Princeton . Notable faculty members include Paul Krugman , Joyce Carol Oates , Peter Singer , and Andrew Wiles . Notable former faculty members include John Witherspoon , Ben Bernanke , Joseph Henry , Toni Morrison , John P . Lewis and Woodrow Wilson , who served as president of the University 1902 – 1910 . Albert Einstein , though on the faculty at the Institute for Advanced Study rather than at Princeton , came to be associated with the university through frequent lectures and visits on the campus .