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Campus Life

“The residential and extracurricular experience both supplement and reinforce the lessons of the classroom, building character and skills that last a lifetime.” Christopher L. Eisgruber '83, president of Princeton University

Campus Life

Your experiences pursuing personal interests, exploring different activities, having fun with friends and meeting new people can be as important and inspiring as your education at Princeton.

Princeton University is committed to building a diverse campus community. Our 5,300 undergraduate students benefit from living and studying at a residential research institution, where faculty and staff devote much of their time and energy to teaching, advising and supporting undergraduates. Princeton University’s 600-acre campus is located in a cosmopolitan town (population 30,000) in central New Jersey, with easy access by train to Philadelphia and New York City, each about 55 miles away.

Princeton guarantees students on-campus housing for all four years and 96 percent of students live on campus. During their first two years, all students are required to live on campus in one of six residential colleges, which offer a variety of academic, social, cultural and recreational programs, as well as academic advising. The colleges are designed to give students a residential experience that takes the fullest possible advantage of the diversity and educational opportunities at Princeton.

Juniors and seniors who wish to continue living in a residential college may do so, or they may live in junior and senior dormitories; they have a number of dining options that include eating clubs, cooperatives and independent dining. First- and second-year students typically take meals in dining halls in the residential colleges.

With more than 300 student organizations, 37 sport clubs, 17 chaplaincies, and several campus centers, the opportunities for students to engage in interests beyond their academic studies abound. Sing with an a cappella group. Perform improv comedy. Join the debate society. Write for the film festival. Try ultimate frisbee.