Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey is a residential community about an hour away from both New York City and Philadelphia by car or commuter train. A small train station on campus connects to all important trains serving the Northeastern corridor. The town has preserved its historical character by maintaining many original colonial buildings and homes.

The University has many of its own athletic facilities for sports such as golf, tennis, basketball, sailing, soccer, swimming, and squash. The two campus recreation centers offer indoor exercise facilities, pools, and a variety of wellness courses.  The campus and nearby countryside have numerous parks and trails for hikers and cyclists, such as the Delaware and Rattan Canal State Park.  Canoe rentals, the Millstone River Tow Path, and occasional winter ice skating are within walking distance of main campus.

Princeton has four performing arts venues that present concerts, dance programs, and both professional and student theater, such as the renowned McCarter Theater. The Passport to the Arts program allows Princeton students to attend a number of performances at no charge at any of these campus venues.  Post docs can take advantage of subscription packages and the "Young-At-Art" program to purchase season tickets at reduced prices.

There are several museums on and near campus along with opportunities to view first-run as well as classic and foreign films.  The Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university museums in the country, with over 60,000 works.  In addition, the Firestone Library offers four exhibitions per year, and materials from the collections are displayed in glass cases throughout the library.  The town is rich with historic buildings, such as Nassau Hall and the former homes of Albert Einstein and Thomas Mann.  The Princeton Historical Society offers weekly walking tours of the area.

The University provides a wide variety of housing for both married and unmarried graduate students. Nearly all is within a mile of the center of the main campus. In Princeton, University housing is generally less expensive than non-university housing.

All students are guaranteed University housing for their first year. Access to University housing in subsequent years depends on availability. Typically students spend about three years in University housing.

Princeton provides dormitory-style facilities for unmarried students and both low-rise and high-rise apartments for married students. Normally unmarried students spend their first year in the Graduate College dormitory. In subsequent years, if they wish, single students may apply to share apartment-style facilities with another student.

For current costs and other information on graduate student housing please consult the "Housing and Cost of Living for Graduate Students", which is available from the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School.

All first year graduate students are supported by a Science and Engineering fellowship from Princeton University’s Graduate School (stipend plus tuition). Additional support during the next four years can be from a variety of sources, including the AOS Research Program cooperative agreement, project grants awarded to individual faculty members from industry or government, or through Assistantship in Instruction. A few University fellowships are also available. Students are also encouraged to apply for National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and/or NASA Fellowships. Various funds are also available to support summer studies, fieldwork, and other research away from campus.

All enrolled graduate students are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Plan (SHP) insurance coverage, which covers off-campus specialty care and hospitalization. Students may also elect to participate in optional vision and dental plans that provide benefits beyond those included in the SHP for an additional fee.