Princeton University is a top-ranked private university with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey in the New York metropolitan area. It is a medium-sized university with 8,300 undergraduate students. Admissions is very competitive as Princeton acceptance rate is around 4%. Majors offered are Public Policy, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, and Social Sciences. Six-year graduation rate is 98%, and Princeton alumni have a median starting salary of about INR 1,05,00,000 (ten years since graduation, converted from $126,200 median earnings).
Stanford University is an elite private university in Stanford, California within the San Francisco Bay Area metropolitan area. It is a large institution with a student enrollment of 16,900. Admissions are highly competitive since Stanford acceptance rate is around 4%. Popular majors include Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Social Sciences, and Biological Sciences. The six-year graduation rate is 94%, and Stanford alumni still receive a median starting salary of around INR 1,16,00,000 (converting $139,100 median earnings ten years after graduation).
| Princeton University | Stanford University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 8.3 Out of 10 | 9.3 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 3 Times Higher Education 2026 # 25 QS World University 2026 # 4 Times Higher Education 2025 | # 3 QS World University 2026 # 5 Times Higher Education 2026 # 3 Center for World University Rankings 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 8 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 15 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2024 # 142 for Medicine by QS World University 2024 | # 2 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 3 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 1 for Law by Times Higher Education 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -18 PG Programs -13 Doctorate Programs -6 | UG Programs -48 PG Programs -37 Doctorate Programs -70 |
| Acceptance Rate | 5.0 % | 4.0 % |
| Exam Score | Duolingo-125 IELTS-8 TOEFL-108 | GMAT-630 IELTS-7 TOEFL-90 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 49450 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 107530 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 21170 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 65286 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 72420 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 34320 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Hiring Companies are Amazon, IBM Corporation, Goldman Sachs Group, Raytheon Co., Microsoft, etc. Princeton University is one of the top private universities in Princeton, United States. It is ranked #=16 in QS World University Rankings 2023.
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Stanford University is one of the top private universities in Stanford, United States. It is ranked #3 in QS World University Rankings 2023. Ranked #2 in Graduate Employability Rank
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| application requirements | Freshman need 3.87 GPA on a scale of 4.0 (A- grade or 90 to 92%). | Supplemental Form (for a few programs); |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 8.3/10 Read 1 reviews | 8.4/10 Read 4 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 6 for Computer Science by Times Higher Education 2025 # 7 for Computer Science by US News 2025 # 13 for Computer Science by QS World University 2025 | # 2 for Computer Science by QS World University 2025 # 2 for Computer Science by US News 2025 # 5 for Computer Science by Times Higher Education 2025 |
| exam scores | IELTS - 8/9TOEFL - 108/120 | IELTS - 7.0/9TOEFL - 90/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -107530 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -101639 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Dec 15, 2025 (Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) | Mar 1, 2026 (Decision date for Autumn 2026 Intake) Dec 2, 2025 (Application deadline for Autumn 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | Princeton University | Stanford University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1746 | 1885 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 5:1:1 | 6:1:1 |
| Male:Female | 50% Male, 0% Female | 48% Male, 0% Female |
| Location Facts | 500-acre campus located in central New Jersey; Philadelphia and New York are just 55 miles away which is an hour drive. The southern edge of the university has an artificial lake | The campus is located in the center of the San Francisco Peninsula. Settled on 8,180 acres of land, the campus is located approx. 37 miles southeast of San Francisco and approx. 20 miles northwest of San Jose. |
| Library | University has 14 libraries; Firestone Library is the main library having more than 11 million holdings in 12 buildings throughout the campus. It houses 3000 ebooks; 50,000 graphic arts collection; 100,000 coins collection; 1,244,911 paper of Princeton; 250,000 rare books collection; 10,000 archives and more | With a network of 20 libraries, the Stanford University Library has a collection of 9.3 million volumes, nearly 300,000 rare or special books, 1.5 million e-books, 2.5 million audiovisual materials, 77,000 serials, nearly 6 million microform holdings, and thousands of other digital resources. |
| Campus Life | 300 student organizations, 36 sport clubs, 17 chaplaincies and some of the campus life units such as Athletics and Campus Recreations; Center for Career Development; Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center; etc. | Campus landmarks include the Main Quad, Memorial Church, Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Bing Concert Hall, Stanford Mausoleum, Hoover Tower, Stanford University Arboretum, Green Library, 31 Club Sports, etc. There are over 625 student-organized groups to participate in, eight dining halls to experience the food on-campus, 2 museums, and 25 student affairs offices. |
| Hostel | #Room - $12450 | #Rent(Graduate) - $24480 |
| Famous Alumni | Michelle Obama (former First Lady of US); James Madison and Woodrow Wilson (former US Presidents); Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO and founder); Jimmy Stewart (actor); Alan Turing (father of theoretical computer science) | Presently, there are more than 220,000 Stanford alumni that include 83 Nobel laureates, 28 Turing Award laureates, 8 Fields Medalists, 270 Olympic medals including 139 gold medals. Larry Page (Co-founder Google); Mike Krieger (Co-founder, Instagram); Peter Thiel (Co-founder, Paypal); Gene D. Block (8th chancellor of UCLA); Derek Bok (25th president of Harvard), etc. |
| City Life | The city of Princeton is located in the center of New Jersey, which is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of Northeastern USA. The cosmopolitan communities residing in the city offer students with multi-cuisine dining. You can shop around in downtown Princeton. The city also has a theatre, museum, and gardens. The unemployment rate is 3.6% . | Located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, Stanford is a census-designated place in California. You can explore various museums, the national zoo, enjoy delicacies of all kinds available at multicuisine restaurants, enjoy basketball games, national baseball games, Jazz music, waterfront near Georgetown, and more. The unemployment rate of the city is 5.1% |
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Princeton University vs Stanford University
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
Princeton University is ranked #25 in QS and 4th in Times Higher Education worldwide, leading in Mathematics, Physics, Public Policy, Economics, and the Humanities. Stanford University ranks #3 in QS and 6th in Times Higher Education, leading in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences. Although both are peer/Ivy elite universities, Stanford's scope and research size make it marginally ahead of Princeton in the majority of global rankings, although Princeton continues to be unmatched in some theoretical and liberal arts areas.
General Information
Princeton, established in 1746, is a private Ivy League college in New Jersey with approximately 8,500 students. It is the most compact of the Ivies, with an emphasis on undergraduates and a close-knit academic atmosphere. Stanford, established in 1885 in California's Silicon Valley, is a private research giant with approximately 17,000 students. Its close location to world tech industries drives its reputation as an innovation and entrepreneurship center.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
Both institutions are highly selective, with acceptance rates usually ranging around 4%. Both prioritize intellectual curiosity and academic excellence, especially in liberal arts, public service, and the sciences. Stanford seeks high achievers with potential to be leaders and entrepreneurs, especially in the areas of STEM and business. Both are need-blind to U.S. applicants and offer generous international financial aid.
Research Impact & Facilities
Princeton leads in basic sciences, public policy, and humanities through Nobel-winning professors and globally preeminent institutes such as the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Institute for Advanced Study (affiliated). Stanford equalizes and surpasses in size, with enormous research expenditure in AI, medicine, engineering, and sustainability, along with collaborations with Silicon Valley. Both institutions have state-of-the-art libraries and laboratories, but Stanford's industrial partnerships and entrepreneurial environment position it optimally for applied research.
Cost & Financial Aid
Both are among the highest-cost U.S. universities, with over $60,000+ yearly tuition. Yet both provide full-tuition and living cost grants in the form of need-based aid, frequently to low- and middle-income family students. Princeton is especially renowned for its no-loan financial aid policy, which has been a model for access. Stanford provides high levels of aid too, but also enjoys industry fellowships and entrepreneurial funding sources.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
Princeton alumni excel in academia, public policy, finance, and law with a rich history of graduating U.S. presidents, Supreme Court justices, and Nobel prize winners. Stanford alumni dominate technology, entrepreneurship, engineering, and business with their alumni founding Google, Yahoo, and Netflix. Princeton's alumni base has strong historical connections in politics, research, and the humanities, whereas Stanford's international network leads in innovation, startups, and corporate management.
