What did the Class of 2026 do outside the classroom? We asked the graduating class about their extracurricular activities, from exercise and study habits to nightlife and sexual activity. With 35.2 percent of respondents reporting studying at Firestone multiple times a week, 51.6 percent attending sporting events once or twice a semester, or 17.3 percent of respondents liking to party at Terrace Club the most, the Class of 2026 kept themselves busy. Read below to find out more.
Freshman fall was a defining time for the Class of 2026. 63.7 percent of students stated that they have maintained at least one friend from Orientation, while 43 percent met their closest friend during freshman fall. Throughout their time at Princeton, 43.7 percent of the Class of 2026 reported having two to five close friends, while 40.3 percent reported having six to 10 close friends. Students in co-ops had the highest dining satisfaction rate at 90 percent, followed by students in eating clubs, with a 78.6 percent satisfaction rate. Those on the unlimited University meal plan and those who were independent trailed not far behind, both with satisfied percentages also in the high 70s. University libraries were the Class of 2026’s most popular study spot, and 60.1 percent of students were able to sleep five to seven hours per night during the academic year.
A.B. students in the Class of 2026 were more likely to seek therapy than B.S.E. students, with 56.5 percent of B.S.E. respondents reporting not attending mental health counseling or therapy during college, compared with 42.1 percent of A.B. students. Those that had mental health counseling or therapy during college reported using the University-provided Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), at 36.3 percent of respondents, compared to 23.8 percent using an alternate service. Among the various meal plan options, those who joined a co-op were most likely to get counseling from CPS, at 75 percent, compared to figures in the 35-to-45-percent range for those on other meal plan options.
Around 34 percent of students consume alcohol once or twice a week. Compared to 9.5 percent of B.S.E. students, 13.4 percent of A.B. students reported drinking more than twice a week, making A.B. students more frequent drinkers overall. However, B.S.E. students were more likely to report drinking moderately often, with 21.2 percent of B.S.E. students drinking 2–3 times a month versus 16.9 percent of A.B. students.
Love might not be in the air for the Class of 2026, but sex certainly is. A majority of seniors — 71 percent — reported having had sex in their lifetime. This is a decrease of approximately five percentage points from both the Class of 2025 (76.6 percent) and the Class of 2024 (75.9 percent). The number of seniors who reported having had exactly one significant other while at Princeton remained approximately constant from the Class of 2025, with over 47 percent of seniors reporting having had one significant other. However, almost 26 percent of respondents reported having none, an increase from the Class of 2025, where almost 22 percent reported not having a partner. 30.9 percent of respondents have sex at least once a week, with most in that group having sex more than twice a week.
Non-varsity athletics were the most common extracurricular among the Class of 2026, with 38.9 percent of seniors reporting participation. Affinity groups and community service were also popular, with 35.2 percent and 34.5 percent participation, respectively. Over 59 percent of the graduating class reported exercising more than once a week, and 51.6 percent of respondents attending a varsity sporting event once or twice a semester.
The most bickered eating club was Cap and Gown Club, with 28.1 percent of respondents, while 38.8 percent of the Class of 2026 reported not bickering at all. 23 percent of respondents reported being rejected one to two times. Despite Cap and Gown being the most bickered, the eating club most people enjoyed partying at was Terrace Club, at 17.3 percent. The most-enjoyed late-night meal option was Wawa at 41.4 percent, while 22.5 percent said their favorite late-night meal location was the U-Store.