Diverse Community

Whether in the classroom, dining hall or residential college, you will bring the entirety of yourself, your background and your experience to every interaction. This is the time of your life when you’ll also grow in ways you can’t even imagine. While you value where you came from, your academic and social experience will take you someplace you have never been — intellectually, emotionally and physically.  Living and learning in a rich cultural environment will transform your life, as well as the lives of everyone you meet. As Dean of the College Jill Dolan says, “At Princeton, ‘diversity’ is more than a catchphrase.  It’s a way of life for those who care about building a global community of citizens who practice caring for one another and the world.”

At Princeton, we work hard to ensure that our community is diverse and intellectually stimulating. Differences in race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, geography, gender, sexual orientation, academic and social interests, and political predilections all add to Princeton’s robust and varied student community.  Janet Lavin Rapelye, dean of admission, says, "We are reaching out to students from every background. We value their aspirations, goals and intellectual successes. When students join our multicultural community, they bring their viewpoints, experiences and talents, which contribute immensely to our campus."

Wherever you go on our campus, you will find others who share your values, heritage and interests, as well as many who, refreshingly, don't. "Princeton University is home to a diverse community of scholars and students who hail from a dazzling variety of backgrounds. The perspectives that all of us bring to campus enrich the University in myriad ways, smashing old stereotypes, provoking new visions of what our world can be, and creating a campus life that is vibrant, colorful and inclusive," says Christopher L. Eisgruber, Princeton University president.