Princeton U. Accepts Fewer Than 7.5% of Applicants for Class of 2017

Princeton University has offered admission to 1,931 students, or 7.29 percent of the near-record 26,498 applicants for the Class of 2017 in what is expected to be the most selective admission process in the University's history. This compares with Princeton's admission rate of a record-low 7.86 percent last year. The class size is expected to be 1,290 students for the Class of 2017.

"We have admitted students who have distinguished themselves with outstanding academic accomplishments and impressive experiences outside the classroom," Dean of Admission Janet Lavin Rapelye said. "Their talents, personal qualities, intellectual achievements and experiences in the arts, athletics and activities in their communities and beyond have prepared them to join the exceptional learning community at Princeton. We are delighted to have the opportunity to welcome such promising students."  

This year's applicant pool is among the largest in the University's history. During the past nine years, Princeton has seen a 93.5 percent increase in applications.

"The applicant pool was broad and deep, and selecting the students who applied for this incoming class at Princeton University was a truly difficult task," Rapelye said.

An additional 1,395 students were offered positions on the wait list. 

Of the applicants, 10,629 had a 4.0 grade point average and 13,802 scored 2100 or higher on the SAT. Among the high schools that rank their students, 97 percent of the admitted applicants are in the top 10 percent of their class. The pool included more than 8,750 high schools from more than 140 countries around the world.

Of the students offered admission, 50.2 percent are men and 49.8 percent are women; 48.8 percent have self-identified as people of color, including biracial and multiracial students. Sixty-one percent of the admitted students come from public schools, and 13.9 percent will be the first in their families to attend college. Sons or daughters of Princeton alumni account for 9.7 percent of the admitted students. Of those offered admission, 23.4 percent indicated they want to study engineering, and a record 47.5 percent of those students are women.