A Distinctive Education

rinceton University is a community of learning that is enriched by a wide variety of experiences and perspectives of its students, faculty, and staff. Princeton’s diverse campus community ensures that students can explore their interests, discover new academic and extracurricular passions, and learn from each other. More than ever, through initiatives such as its groundbreaking financial aid program, Princeton is making its distinctive education accessible to students from a broad range of cultural, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.

As a recent Princeton graduate said, “At Princeton, one quickly recognizes that diversity can encompass many meanings, and every individual is a world of experiences and perspectives once they open up to others.”

Teaching Environment: Chartered in 1746, Princeton is renowned for its commitment to undergraduate teaching. The university provides its 4,780 undergraduate students with unique academic opportunities that prepare them for positions of leadership in any field they choose.

Princeton’s 850 professors do more than teach; they also are advisers who help students plan their academic programs. Students benefit from small class sizes and one-on-one advising with faculty, particularly while doing independent work such as the senior thesis.

Academic Choice: The academic options at Princeton give students a great deal of flexibility in shaping their intellectual interests while working toward either the Bachelor of Arts degree (in any of 29 departments in the humanities, social sciences, and pure sciences) or the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree (in any of six departments). Students also may choose among more than 30 special interdisciplinary programs, creating special combinations of academic interests. For example, a student might major in history while also earning a certificate in musical performance; or major in astrophysics while earning a certificate in African American studies.

The classroom experience at Princeton is supported by an array of campus resources and opportunities. These resources include: 15 libraries, the largest of which, Firestone Library, houses more than 6.5 million books; world-class laboratories and research centers,

such as the new Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics; and an art museum that has over 60,000 works of art from around the world.

Small and Residential: The university is located in the town of Princeton, which has a diverse population of approximately 30,000 residents. Princeton is situated between New York City and Philadelphia, with rail service to both cities.

Princeton’s campus extends from the town center, and is easy to explore by foot. The six residential colleges, where students live and eat, are at the heart of Princeton’s residential community. Advising services, cultural events, educational programs, and intramural sports are just some of the resources available to residents of the colleges.

Extracurricular Activities: The vast range of interests and talents of Princeton undergraduates translate into countless ways for students to get involved and follow their interests. Beyond the programs offered by the residential colleges, students can participate in more than 200 student-run organizations, the arts, community service, student government, religious groups, athletics, and more.

Princeton students also are active in various organizations and programs that reflect the multicultural student body and that focus on issues of diversity. For example, the Black Student Union Leadership and Mentoring Program assists participating first-year students in their transition to campus life by matching them to student mentors. Also, an initiative called Sustained Dialogue, which is run by students, provides a regular discussion forum for various topics including race relations, gender, and faith.