Princeton has welcomed the Class of 2030 for the 2026-27 academic year, including one of the largest number of lower-income first-year students in the University’s history.
In the first-year Class of 2030, approximately 25% of the class are lower-income students eligible for federal Pell Grants. Need-based financial aid will also go to an additional 46% of the class who come from other lower-income families, as well as middle- and upper-middle-income homes.
The Class of 2030 includes a total of 1,414 first-time, first-year students. Thirty-five transfer students also joined the undergraduate student community this fall.
“We are thrilled to welcome the great Class of 2030 and our newest transfer cohort to Princeton,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Karen Richardson, a 1993 Princeton graduate. “Through their applications each individual showed not only their accomplishments to date but also the amazing contributions they will make to this community in the years ahead.”
The first-year Class of 2030 includes 19% who are first-generation college students and 12% who are children of alumni.
Students in Princeton’s Class of 2030 come from 48 states and Washington, D.C., as well as three U.S. territories. International students represent 63 countries, such as Belgium, Cyprus, Guatemala, Hungary, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden and Uganda.
On their applications, 68% of first-time enrolled students indicated an interest in Princeton’s bachelor of arts degree, and 26% indicated an interest in the University’s bachelor of science in engineering degree. The remainder of students indicated they are undecided.
Among the 35 transfer students, 20 have served in the U.S. military, representing the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.
Thirty-two of the transfer students matriculated from community colleges, such as Mercer County Community College and Brookdale Community College in New Jersey, Richard Bland College in Virginia, Austin Community College in Texas, Bristol Community College in Massachusetts, Joliet Junior College in Illinois and Grossmont College in California.
Spotlight on Princeton’s financial aid leadership
Overall, 71% of the enrolled class will receive financial aid. Princeton’s financial aid program, made possible by the University endowment and the sustained generosity of alumni and others, is known as one of the most generous in the country. The average aid package for an undergraduate in 2026-27 is estimated to be more than $83,000.
Princeton continually enhances its groundbreaking aid program, with the most recent enhancement last academic year. Most families with incomes up to $150,000 a year pay nothing for their student to attend Princeton, receiving aid to cover the total cost of attendance, including tuition, housing, food, books and personal expenses. More than 30% of undergraduates received this level of aid during the last academic year.
Most students from families with incomes up to $250,000 receive aid to cover the full cost of tuition, and many families living in the U.S. with incomes up to and even beyond $350,000 receive grant aid, including those at higher income levels with multiple children in college.
As part of the University’s commitment to attracting and supporting students from across the income spectrum, Princeton is an active member of the American Talent Initiative, which brings together more than 135 high-graduation-rate institutions from across the country with the goal of expanding access and opportunity for low- and moderate-income students.
