Princeton – Costs, Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid (2026)

Imagine this: you get into Princeton, one of the top four universities in the world, an institution where Albert Einstein spent the last twenty years of his life, and John Nash scribbled equations on a blackboard that earned him the Nobel Prize in Economics. You open your financial aid package and read: tuition, room, board, travel to your home country, textbooks – all covered. Amount due: zero. Not a loan. Not a student credit. A grant, non-repayable. This is what Princeton looks like for over 60% of its students, including international students.

Princeton commands respect by its very name, but it also evokes fear: how much does it cost? The official annual price exceeds $87,000. This is a sum that paralyzes prospective international students and their parents. The problem is that this number is largely fictitious. Princeton has the most generous financial aid system among all American universities: a no-loan policy (all aid is grants), need-blind admissions for international students, and a commitment to cover 100% of the demonstrated financial need for every admitted student. In practice, this means that for many international families, the real cost of studying at Princeton ranges from zero to a few thousand dollars per year.

In this guide, I will break down every dollar of Princeton’s annual cost, explain the financial aid application process step-by-step (PFAA, not CSS Profile: Princeton has its own system), share real stories of Polish students who received full grants, and compare costs with European alternatives, from free universities in Germany to ETH Zurich and Sciences Po. If you’re considering studying abroad and dismissed Princeton due to the price, this article will change your perspective.

Full Cost Breakdown, Dollar by Dollar

Before we delve into financial aid, you need to understand exactly what makes up the Princeton bill. The official “cost of attendance” calculation includes both mandatory university fees and estimated living expenses, and Princeton is more transparent in this regard than most American universities. Every item is listed down to the dollar, with no hidden costs or surprises.

Tuition for the 2025/2026 academic year is $62,400 USD. This is the fee for the academic program itself: lectures, labs, seminars, and preceptorials (a system of small discussion groups, a Princeton hallmark). This amount increases annually by 3–5%, so for 2026/2027, it’s estimated to be around $65,000 USD. Tuition is the same for all students; there is no difference between American and international students, which is not always the case in the world of American universities (at state universities, the difference can be 3–4 times higher).

Room costs $11,910 USD annually. Princeton has a four-year on-campus residency requirement; it’s an element of university culture, not just logistics. During freshman year, you live in one of the five residential colleges (Mathey, Rockefeller, Butler, Whitman, First, each with its own dining hall, library, and traditions). From sophomore year onwards, you join one of the eating clubs on Prospect Avenue, a unique Princeton tradition. The cost of room is covered by financial aid.

Board is $8,340 USD annually. The meal plan includes meals in the dining halls of the individual residential colleges. The food is surprisingly good by American university standards: Princeton regularly ranks in the top 10 campuses for food quality according to Niche.com.

Mandatory fees – the university fee ($288) and student activities fee ($340) – are minor items but are part of the official bill. Health insurance is another $3,510 USD annually, unless you have your own insurance covering treatment in the USA (which is rare for international students).

In addition, there are estimated costs that Princeton does not charge directly but includes in the financial aid calculation: textbooks and supplies ($910–$1,500), transportation (for international students, round-trip airfare, realistically $1,500–$2,500 annually), and personal expenses ($2,374). The total estimated annual cost, including everything, reaches $90,000–$93,000 USD.

These numbers look terrifying. But read on, because for most international families, the real price is a fraction of this amount.

Financial Aid: Why Princeton is in a League of Its Own

Now for the most important part of this article, because cost alone, without the context of financial aid, is meaningless information. Princeton has a financial aid system that is, in many respects, the most generous in the United States, and consequently, in the world. No European university offers anything comparable, as the European model relies on low tuition for everyone, rather than a differentiated price tailored to a family’s ability to pay.

Three pillars of the Princeton system:

Pillar 1: Need-blind admissions for ALL, including international students. This means that the admissions committee does not know if you are applying for financial aid and does not consider your financial situation when making an admission decision. This is an exceptionally rare policy; among over 4,000 universities in the USA, only a few (Princeton, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Amherst) are need-blind for international students. Most universities, even prestigious ones, are “need-aware” for international candidates, which in practice means your financial situation MAY influence the decision. At Princeton, you don’t have this problem.

Pillar 2: 100% coverage of demonstrated financial need. Every admitted student – American, international, or anyone else – receives a financial aid package covering the full difference between the cost of attendance and what their family can realistically afford to pay. Princeton calculates the “expected family contribution” (EFC) based on income, assets, family size, and other factors. If your family earns, for example, $50,000 USD annually, your expected contribution might be zero or a few thousand dollars; Princeton covers the rest.

Pillar 3: No-loan policy. This is an absolute game-changer and what distinguishes Princeton from 99% of universities worldwide. All financial aid from Princeton comes in the form of grants – non-repayable awards. Not loans, not student credit. You graduate from Princeton with a degree and zero debt. For comparison: the average American university graduate leaves with debt ranging from $30,000–$40,000 USD, and law or medical school graduates, even $200,000 USD. At Princeton, such a scenario is impossible.

What does this mean in numbers? In the 2024/2025 academic year, over 62% of Princeton students received financial aid. The average grant was over $59,000 USD annually, meaning that for most students, the real price of Princeton was less than $30,000 USD per year, and for many, zero. Princeton allocates over $235 million USD annually to financial aid. The university’s endowment, the fund from which these resources come, exceeds $35 billion USD, giving Princeton the third-largest endowment per student in the USA (after MIT and Yale). This is not a program that will disappear tomorrow; it’s an institutional cornerstone of the university.

You can read more about scholarship systems in our detailed guide to scholarships at Princeton and in the general guide to scholarships for studying in the USA.

How to Apply for Financial Aid, Step-by-Step

The process of applying for financial aid at Princeton is simpler than at most other Ivy League universities, and this is a conscious decision by Princeton to avoid discouraging candidates from less affluent families with unnecessary bureaucracy. Princeton has its own financial form – the Princeton Financial Aid Application (PFAA) – and does not require the CSS Profile, which is standard at other universities and costs extra. The PFAA is free for both US and international applicants.

Here is the exact path for an international candidate:

1. Submit your application for admission to Princeton via the Common Application or Coalition Application. This is a separate step from financial aid, but necessary to gain access to the portal.
2. Create an account in the Princeton Applicant Portal: after submitting your admission application.
3. Complete the PFAA (Princeton Financial Aid Application): through the portal. The form asks about parents’ income, assets, real estate, number of dependents, and other factors. It takes 1–2 hours to complete.
4. Submit parents’ financial documents: copies of tax returns or equivalent financial documents from your home country’s tax system for the year 2024. Documents not in English require a certified translation.
5. If parents are divorced/separated: complete the Non-custodial Parent Form (second parent’s form). Princeton has a special version of this form for international students.

Deadlines

• Early Action (SCEA): admission application by November 1 → PFAA and documents by November 9 → decision in mid-December.
• Regular Decision: admission application by January 1 → PFAA and documents by February 1 → decision late March/early April.

The financial aid decision comes together with the admission decision – you don’t have to wait separately. The financial aid package is valid for one year, but you renew it annually (the renewal process is simpler than the initial application). If your family’s financial situation changes, for better or worse, Princeton will adjust the aid accordingly.

Practical tip: complete the PFAA even if your family has a relatively high income. The income threshold at which Princeton still offers aid is higher than you might think. For families with an income below $100,000 USD, Princeton covers full tuition, room, and board. Even families earning $150,000–$200,000 USD can receive significant grants. Don’t miss out on support by mistakenly assuming that “we can’t afford it, but we probably don’t qualify.”

You can find more about the application process for American universities in our step-by-step guide.

Princeton vs. Ivy League: Cost and Aid Comparison

Princeton is not the only university offering generous financial aid, but it is one of the few that combines all three elements: need-blind for international students, 100% need met, and no loans. How does it compare to its direct competitors?

A comparison makes sense because if you’re applying to Princeton, you’re most likely also considering Harvard, Yale, MIT, Columbia, or Stanford. Each of these universities has a slightly different financial system, and the differences, though subtle, can influence your decisions.

As you can see, four universities in this group: Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and MIT, offer virtually identical policies: need-blind, 100% need met, no loans. The differences are subtle but significant. Princeton stands out with its own PFAA form (you don’t have to pay for the CSS Profile, which costs $25 for the first university and $16 for each subsequent one – a small detail, but symbolic). Princeton was also the first university to eliminate loans from financial aid packages (in 2001), and it has the highest percentage of students receiving aid. You can find more about Yale’s costs in our guide to Yale’s costs, and a general overview in the complete guide to the cost of studying in the USA.

Princeton vs. Europe: Is Ivy League Worth the Cost?

This is a question that must be addressed in any reliable guide to Princeton’s costs, because international prospective students have alternatives that their American peers might not even dream of. In Europe, there are world-renowned universities where tuition is zero or a few hundred euros per year. Why even consider Princeton when you can study at ETH Zurich for 730 CHF per semester, at TU Munich for zero euros, or at Sciences Po for a small fee dependent on income?

The answer is not straightforward and depends on your goals.

In favor of Princeton: a unique educational system (residential colleges, preceptorials, senior thesis – every student writes a thesis under faculty supervision), a global alumni network (Jeff Bezos, Michelle Obama, Sonia Sotomayor, Alan Turing), top employment statistics after graduation (median earnings for Princeton graduates 10 years after graduation are over $90,000 annually), and the fact that with financial aid, the real cost can be lower than at many European universities, if you factor in living expenses. Studying at Princeton for $0–5,000 USD annually (after aid) is cheaper than living in Zurich for 2,000 CHF per month, even if ETH charges no tuition.

In favor of Europe: less uncertainty (you know in advance that tuition is X, without dependence on a scholarship committee’s decision), shorter studies (3-year bachelor’s vs. 4 years at Princeton), geographical and cultural proximity (a flight to Munich is 2 hours, not 9), no need to take the SAT (although at many European universities, an SAT score helps, check it on okiro.io), and natural access to the European job market.

Let’s be honest: if you get into Princeton with full financial aid, the decision is easy; it’s an offer that’s hard to refuse. If, however, your family falls into the $150,000–$300,000 USD income bracket and your expected contribution would be $20,000–$40,000 USD annually, the calculation becomes more complex, and then European alternatives (especially free universities in Germany, Scandinavia, or Belgium) might be financially more sensible. Our general guide to the cost of studying in the USA will help you with the comparison.

External Scholarships for International Applicants

Princeton covers financial needs from its own resources, but there are additional scholarship programs that can help international students, both with application costs and with personal expenses that a Princeton grant might not fully cover.

Fulbright Scholarship – the most important and prestigious exchange program between many countries and the USA, administered by the Fulbright Commission in each country. The program primarily concerns master’s and doctoral studies, but it builds contacts that can be useful during the undergraduate application stage. It’s worth following the local Fulbright commission’s website.

The Kościuszko Foundation (thekf.org) – offers scholarships and grants for Polish students studying in the USA. The amounts are not huge (a few thousand dollars), but they can cover flights, materials, or personal expenses.

EducationUSA – a network of educational advisors funded by the U.S. Department of State, operating through U.S. Embassies worldwide. It offers free advice on the application process, including help with financial forms. It’s worth contacting them before submitting the PFAA.

College Board Fee Waivers – if your family has low income, you can get fee waivers for the SAT and for college applications. Princeton honors fee waivers, so the application fee ($70) is waived.

Preparing for the SAT is a key element of the Princeton application; the university requires SAT or ACT scores. The average SAT score for admitted students is 1510–1570. Practice on okiro.io, which offers adaptive SAT practice tests with immediate feedback. For TOEFL, which Princeton requires from students for whom English is not their native language, prepare on prepclass.io with AI feedback on the Speaking and Writing sections.

Real Stories of Polish Students

Theory is important, but nothing is more convincing than concrete stories. Here are the experiences of Polish students who went through the financial aid application process at Princeton:

Jakub (Kuba) Respekta – received a full ride scholarship covering tuition, room, board, flights to Poland, and educational materials. Kuba was one of the few Polish students at Princeton and actively shared his experience in Polish media, emphasizing that the financial aid application process was simpler than he expected.

Antek Hasiura, at the time of his interview, was the only Polish undergraduate student at Princeton. His annual costs were about $78,000 USD, entirely covered by financial aid. Antek publicly stressed: “You don’t have to be a millionaire to study at Princeton. Financial aid is real and concrete.”

These stories are not exceptions; they are exactly what the Princeton system was designed for. The university actively seeks talent worldwide and consciously eliminates financial barriers because its endowment (over $35 billion USD) allows for such generosity without compromise. For Princeton, admitting an outstanding student from Poland who cannot pay a single dollar is a better investment than admitting an average candidate whose family pays full price. The issue of cost should not be a reason for you not to apply.

You can read more about how to get a scholarship in our detailed scholarship guide for Princeton. I also encourage you to read our complete guide to Princeton, which covers the curriculum, student life, and career prospects, as well as the article on the best majors at Princeton for international students.

Student Life and Costs: What Does the Grant Actually Cover?

It’s worth understanding how a Princeton grant translates into daily life, because “financial aid” is an abstraction, and you will be living in a specific place for four years. Princeton is not a big city like New York or Boston. It’s a charming university town in New Jersey, an hour by train from Manhattan and an hour from Philadelphia. The campus is beautiful, with Collegiate Gothic architecture, gardens designed by Beatrix Farrand, and the Firestone Library with its multi-billion dollar manuscript collection. Read more about the location in our guide to the Princeton campus.

A Princeton grant covers room and board, so your daily needs, a roof over your head, and three meals a day are secured. Students receiving financial aid also have access to additional funds: Residential College Allowance for academic supplies, Student Activities Fee covering the costs of student organizations, and even a Senior Thesis Fund for research related to your thesis (research travel, materials, interviews). Princeton also offers paid summer internships for students receiving financial aid; the Princo Internship Funding program provides compensation even for unpaid internships at non-profit organizations or government institutions.

Eating clubs, a unique Princeton tradition somewhat resembling fraternities but without their negative connotations, are clubs on Prospect Avenue where students eat meals and socialize from their sophomore year onwards. The costs of eating clubs are included in the financial aid calculation, so even belonging to the most exclusive club will not cost you more.

On-campus jobs are part of the financial aid package: Princeton expects students receiving aid to work 8–10 hours per week during the semester. Jobs include lab assistantships, library assistance, leading preceptorials (as a student-tutor), and administrative roles. The rate is approximately $15–$20/hour, which provides $5,000–$8,000 annually, and this amount covers your personal expenses.

Common Mistakes by International Applicants in the Financial Process

From conversations with international students and educational advisors, several recurring mistakes emerge that cost candidates thousands of dollars or, worse, their entire chance at financial aid.

Mistake 1: Not submitting the PFAA because “we probably can’t afford Princeton, so why bother.” This is the most destructive mistake. Princeton is need-blind; they don’t see your finances when making an admission decision. If you don’t submit the PFAA, you won’t receive any aid. And the qualification threshold is higher than you think.

Mistake 2: Inaccurate translation of financial documents. Tax returns from your home country have specific structures, tax reliefs, business income, spouse’s income. A certified translator must not only translate the words but also ensure the document is clear to an American official. Include explanations, e.g., “Joint Spouses Tax Return (PIT-36)” with an explanation of individual fields.

Mistake 3: Forgetting about the non-custodial parent’s documents. If your parents are divorced, Princeton requires financial information from BOTH parents. Many international candidates are unaware of the Non-custodial Parent Form, as such a requirement is rare in European scholarship systems.

Mistake 4: Viewing “work expectation” as a problem. Princeton expects students receiving financial aid to work 8–10 hours per week. International students sometimes perceive this negatively, unnecessarily. On-campus jobs (lab, library, tutoring) are valuable experiences, well-paid, and easy to balance with studies.

Mistake 5: Comparing “sticker price” instead of “net price.” Do not compare Princeton’s official price ($87,000) with the price of a European university ($0–5,000 tuition). Compare the net price after financial aid, which for many international families will be lower at Princeton than the cost of living in Zurich or London.

FAQ, Frequently Asked Questions

Summary: Princeton is More Realistic Than You Think

Princeton’s official price, over $87,000 USD annually, is a number that paralyzes. But after reading this guide, you should see it in a completely different light. Princeton has the most generous financial aid system in the USA: need-blind for international students, 100% of demonstrated need met, zero loans – all aid is grants. For most international families, the real price ranges from zero to a few thousand dollars annually. You graduate from Princeton with zero debt, with a diploma that opens doors literally everywhere in the world.

Does this mean Princeton is for everyone? No, an acceptance rate of 3.5% speaks for itself. But the barrier to entry is academic and personal, not financial. If you have outstanding grades, strong extracurricular activities, a compelling essay, and a good SAT score, Princeton wants you, regardless of whether your family earns $5,000 or $500,000 USD per month.

Next Steps

1. Check the Princeton Net Price Calculator on princeton.edu/financial-aid for an initial estimate of financial aid based on your family’s income.
2. Prepare for the SAT on okiro.io – aim for 1500+, ideally 1520+.
3. Prepare for the TOEFL on prepclass.io – aim for 100+ iBT, ideally 110+.
4. Gather your parents’ financial documents: tax returns for 2024, income statements, certified translations.
5. Read related guides: studying at Princeton, majors at Princeton, scholarships at Princeton, location and campus.
6. Contact EducationUSA at your local U.S. Embassy for free advice.
7. Do not dismiss Princeton due to price: submit the PFAA and let Princeton decide how much you will pay.

Princeton awaits talented international students. The only question is whether you will give them a chance.