Princeton is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the United States. It was founded in 1746 and moved to its current site in New Jersey in 1896.
Princeton is renowned for the spectacular greenery of its campus and for the architectural splendor of some of its landmark buildings, such as its Lewis Library, which was designed by Frank Gehry. Its student body is relatively small, with fewer than 10,000 enrolled in total, and international students make up 12 per cent of undergraduates.
Princeton is one of the world’s foremost research universities, and has educated two US presidents, James Madison and Woodrow Wilson. Other distinguished graduates include Michelle Obama, actors Jimmy Stewart and David Duchovny, Google chairman Eric Schmidt and Apollo astronaut Pete Conrad.
Princeton was founded by New Light Presbyterians to provide training to its ministers. After the American Civil War, the college expanded, and its curriculum was overhauled. Around the turn of the 20th century, it officially became a university and its famous graduate school opened.
Today’s Princeton provides undergraduate and graduate education in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering as well as offering a number of professional degrees.
Princeton’s main campus is spread across 500 acres and has around 180 buildings, including 10 libraries. The main campus was named one of the most beautiful in the United States by New York’s Travel+Leisure magazine. Most Princeton students live, eat, study, work, and are at leisure on campus.
The Ivy League institution guarantees accommodation to all of its undergraduate students across the four years of their degree and is committed to building a diverse campus community. Residential colleges offer a variety of academic, social, cultural and recreational programs, and opportunities abound for students to engage in interests beyond their academic study, whether that be writing for a literary publication, learning the science of beekeeping, or singing with an a capella group.
The university is within easy reach of both New York City and Philadelphia, with the “Dinky” shuttle train providing a regular one-hour service to both cities.
Studying at Princeton surrounded by natural beauty and architectural gems brings the best out in students. Several alumni and faculty members have been awarded Nobel prizes, and the university is consistently ranked in the top ten worldwide. Admissions are need-blind and, through a combination of grants and college jobs, few students graduate in debt – even though 60 percent of incoming students receive financial aid.
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