DEMOGRAPHICS

As the University expands financial aid for this fall, nearly 30 percent of incoming students will be on full aid — an 11.6 percent increase from the Class of 2026. An additional 30.1 percent of the Class of 2027 expects to receive no aid for their Princeton education, a 9.5 percent decrease from last year. 10.9 percent of respondents anticipate needing to take out a loan to cover Princeton’s costs, despite the University touting itself as loan-free. The highest percentage comes from those on partial aid, with 19.1 percent anticipating taking out loans and 23.8 percent unsure.

Survey respondents hailed from 53 U.S. states and territories and over 60 countries. New Jersey, New York, and California had the most respondents, consistent with previous surveys and University data. 15.3 percent of respondents report being international students — of this, the greatest percentage of respondents hail from Asia, though the largest contingent of new non-American Tigers hail from Great Britain and Canada. Around the world, only 7.2 percent of respondents report being from rural communities.

Members of the Class of 2027 come from a variety of high schools — 49.6 percent went to a public (non-selective) high school, while 27.7 went to a private (independent) school, 13.6 percent went to a public (selective) school, 9.6 percent went to a private (parochial / religious) school, and 2.2 percent went to another type of high school. 8.9 percent also went to a boarding high school. Many students that were a part of these selective schools utilized financial aid programs. Over 15 percent of students used a community-based organization or non-profit program when applying to Princeton, with almost 10 percent applying through QuestBridge. Over 11 percent of students took a gap year before coming to Princeton, traveling the world, working, or completing a structured program.

Over 80 percent of first-years have at least one parent with at least an undergraduate degree, though just over one-third of American adults have finished college. This is consistent with the University touting that 18 percent of the Class of 2027 is first generation. Around one-third of respondents also do not speak English as their primary language at home (29.9 percent), had substantial at-home responsibilities in high school (31.3 percent), or have more than one sibling (37.7 percent).

One in four members of the Class of 2027 identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. 77.8 percent of respondents from the Northeast indicated being straight, while only 60.8 percent of respondents from the Midwest indicated the same. Students with alumni in their family (legacy) saw different trends in sexual orientation — while 78.6 percent of legacy respondents indicated that they were straight, 74.5 percent of non-legacy respondents indicated likewise.

The Class of 2027’s respondents are the most racially diverse of the classes previously surveyed, with 38.1 percent identifying as white non-hispanic, down from 45.9 percent of the Class of 2026 and 50.4 percent of the Class of 2025. The racial breakdown of the respondents are approximately equal to the University’s published data.