Princeton University has been recognized in national and international rankings for its academic excellence, best value and least student debt.
The University was ranked No. 1 overall in the Best National Universities category in the "U.S. News 2016 America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report. The publication also ranked the University first for best value and lowest student debt at graduation. Princeton also ranked No. 1 in Kiplinger's Personal Finance list for "Best College Values."
The rankings are a recognition of the University's pioneering financial aid program, which provides the assistance necessary for any student who is admitted and needs financial aid. It comes in the form of grants that do not need to be repaid, allowing students to graduate debt free.
The University is No. 4 in the Forbes ranking of the nation's 650 best undergraduate institutions in "America's Top Colleges" and was placed among the top 10 in the 2015 Campus Pride Top LGBTQ-friendly Colleges and Universities survey.
Internationally, Princeton was ranked No. 6 in the Shanghai Jiao Tong ranking, officially known as the Academic Ranking of World Universities; ranked No. 7 in the latest Times Higher Education's World University Rankings; and No. 11 among 800 institutions across the globe by the QS World University Rankings.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the University as the top school for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and campus experience and recognized Princeton in academic categories, including its engineering curriculum. The publication also recognized the University for its student-faculty ratio, outstanding opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research, and the diversity of the student body.
Princeton's commitment to access is also reflected in more than doubling the percentage of students receiving Pell grants, to 18 percent for the freshman Class of 2018, up from 7.2 percent for the freshman Class of 2008.
Approximately 60 percent of all undergraduate students receive aid, and the average grant is more than $40,000 per year.
The Princeton Review, an organization independent of the University, recognized Princeton in categories such as "Best 380 Colleges - 2016 Edition," including a No. 1 ranking for "Great Financial Aid" and high rankings in the "best-run colleges," "students study the most" and "most beautiful campus."
Princeton students continue to embody the University's informal motto, "In the Nation's Service and in the Service of All Nations," through many service experiences, including the University's Bridge Year Program, which offers them the opportunity live and participate in community projects abroad before they begin their studies at Princeton.
Princeton's many sustainability efforts both inside and outside the classroom earned the University a place in the 2015 edition of Princeton Review's "Guide to 353 Green Colleges," which features the nation's most environmentally responsible campuses.
Since rankings cannot fully capture the distinctiveness of any institution, students are encouraged to collect as much information as they can about colleges and universities in which they have an interest, and to visit those institutions to find what academic and social environment is best for them.
Additional resources are available for students interested in learning more about Princeton including the University's websites, social media accounts, admission materials and campus tours.
