The Class of 2029 has come from all over the world — from the Czech Republic to Botswana — to make the Orange Bubble their home for the next four years. Read more about the incoming first-years to find out more about their identities, high school academics, college plans, views, and more.
Almost half of the Class of 2029 identify as non-white, with 45 percent identifying as Asian. When it comes to sexual orientation, about 75 percent of the Class of 2029 identifies as straight. If the 2025 Senior Survey is any indication, this number may go down throughout their four years. At around 10 percent, the number of recruited athletes has remained similar to the Class of 2028.
About 20 percent of the Class of 2029 are legacy students, including 6.2 percent who are multi-generational legacies. Legacy students, particularly those who have multiple generations of family who attended Princeton, are significantly less likely than their peers to receive full or partial financial aid. Almost two-thirds of the class have at least one parent with a graduate degree, while only 16 percent have parents who do not hold a four-year college degree.
Around half of the Class of 2029 reported having attended a non-selective public school prior to attending Princeton, with independent private school students comprising another quarter of the student body. Another 13.8 percent of students reported having attended a public school with some sort of selective criteria. Of the fewer than seven percent of students who took a gap year before entering Princeton, most either completed a structured program or were working.
Around 72 percent of students reported receiving some form of financial assistance from the University. Around 53 percent of the Class of 2029 reported a household income of at least $125,000. A similar percentage of students reported being at least somewhat comfortable with the amount of tuition their families are paying. Around three-quarters of the Class of 2029 said they do not anticipate having to take out loans to cover tuition costs.
This year, more international student respondents reported being from the United Kingdom than from Canada. The most represented country of origin in Africa is Kenya, with five students. In the United States, students’ zip codes are primarily concentrated around metropolitan areas, such as New York City and the Bay Area, with the highest concentration coming from New Jersey. In the San Francisco area, more students in the Class of 2029 hail from the East Bay than the Peninsula.