Studying in the USA is a common dream of millions of students. But, only a few are actually able to chase this dream of studying abroad at a prestigious university. Imagine if you get the privilege to choose between the world’s most prestigious universities! What will you do? How will you decide? If you were given a choice between Yale University and Princeton University, which one would you choose as your academic partner? In this blog, we will find out which is better, Yale vs Princeton in the ultimate university showdown!
Particulars | Yale University | Princeton University |
Ranking (Overall) | # 16 QS World University 2024 # 9 Times Higher Education 2023 # 12 US News 2023 |
# 17 QS World University 2024 # 7 Times Higher Education 2023 # 16 US News 2023 |
Subject Strength | # 9 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2023 # 9 for Medicine by Times Higher Education 2023 # 1 for Law by US News 2023 |
# 7 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2023 # 154 for Medicine by QS World University 2023 # 51 for Law by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2021 |
Programs | UG Programs -33 PG Programs -59 Doctorate Programs -13 |
UG Programs -18 PG Programs -13 Doctorate Programs -6 |
Acceptance Rate | 6.3 % | 6.5 % |
Exam Score |
GMAT – 700 GRE – 315 IELTS – 7 SAT – 1460 TOEFL – 100 |
GRE – 308 IELTS – 7 SAT – 1460 TOEFL – 100 |
Cost To Study | Hiring Companies are Amazon, IBM Corporation, Goldman Sachs Group, Raytheon Co., Microsoft, etc. Graduate Employability ranks (2023): #15 Princeton University is one of the top private universities in Princeton, United States. It is ranked #=16 in QS World University Rankings 2023. Masters in Science: $248,000 Doctorate: $175,000 MBA: $173,000 PhD: $135,000 Bachelor of Science: $110,000 Masters in Finance: $107,000 |
Average Tuition Fees 49450 [For UG Program]Average Tuition Fees 54070 [For PG Program]Hostel + Meal – 18630 Per Year |
Placement (Average Package) | Top recruiters include Yale University, Microsoft Corp, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Harvard University, Kaiser Permanente, etc. MBA: $150,000 Doctorate: $124,000 PhD: $115,000 Bachelor of Arts: $95,000 Bachelor of Science: $90,000 Masters of Arts: $83,000 | Hiring Companies are Amazon, IBM Corporation, Goldman Sachs Group, Raytheon Co., Microsoft, etc. Graduate Employability ranks (2023): #15 Princeton University is one of the top private universities in Princeton, United States. It is ranked #=16 in QS World University Rankings 2023. Masters in Science: $248,000 Doctorate: $175,000 MBA: $173,000 PhD: $135,000 Bachelor of Science: $110,000 Masters in Finance: $107,000 |
Campuses And B Schools | Yale School of Management | NA |
This Blog Includes:
Yale vs Princeton: Location
Yale is located in New Haven, CT which is a small city with around 1,30,000 people. It has several restaurants and shops such as Frank Pepe pizzeria Napoletana.

Princeton is located in Princeton, NJ which is smaller than New Heaven. The population is around 31,000 and is located about 45 miles from New York and Philadelphia.

Both the universities are located in the northeastern region, hence experiencing all four seasons of the year. However, Princeton is closer to cities, hence students can visit their families easily on weekends.
Do You Know? Out of every 10 best universities in the world, 6 are based in the USA.
Student Population
Yale has more graduate students with a total of 13,000 students. For every six students at Yale, there is one faculty. Princeton has about 8000 students. For every five students at Princeton, there is one faculty. The commonality between both universities is a similar undergraduate population with less than 20 students in 70% of classes.
Courses Offered
Yale offers around 80 courses in diverse subjects such as Arts, theatre, religious studies, engineering, and astrophysics. Several special programmes are held – residential college seminars that are hosted by 14 residential colleges.
Princeton offers around 36 majors with degree programs in the fields of architecture, language, computer science, and many more. Students can go for certificate programmes in creative writing, artificial intelligence, robotics, and more. Different degrees have different distributions.
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Accommodation
Students at Yale University get residences in one of the 14 residential colleges. They can live there up to the entire period of course. The on-campus accommodation improves relationships between students and better chances to meet with faculty. Some students also live off-campus.
Princeton University has a traditional housing system. The freshers usually live on campus. Four years of housing is also allowed in some cases. Students also prefer to live off-campus as seniors and juniors.
Campus Food
Yale provides students with food in their colleges. Different food choices are available. The dining halls in residential colleges allowed the intermingling of juniors, seniors, and deans. Freshers require a full meal plan. Yale offers dietary restrictions.
The freshman and sophomores at Princeton University should enrol in the unlimited meal plan. It also includes dietary restrictions and kosher options. There are several eating clubs around Princeton. Around 11 clubs are available with specific facilities.
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Financial Aid
A very critical point when it comes to choosing between Yale and Princeton. Both Yale and Princeton have high prices, around $70,000 per year. The students on financial aid easily meet their needs. Both the universities provide loans during the financial aid award. Yale University provides $49,051 as financial aid. Princeton University provides $45,707 as financial aid. Around 64% of students at Yale receive financial aid while 61% of students at Princeton are on financial aid.
Events and Extra-Curricular
The Yale University athletes participate in the NCAA Division I and Ivy League. There are 35 varsity teams in the Yale Bulldogs. There are plenty of opportunities in extracurricular events at Yale University. More than 10% of Yale students participate in Greek life.
The Princeton students also participate in the NCAA Division I and Ivy League. The Princeton Tigers have 37 varsity teams. They also provide immense athletic and extracurricular opportunities to their students. The eating clubs at Princeton have a dominating role in campus social life.
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How to Pick Between Yale vs Princeton?
Both Yale and Princeton University are the best educational institutes with phenomenal results and professionally successful candidates. The major differences between these two are mentioned below in detail.
Yale University and Princeton University are amongst the most competitive colleges in the USA. According to QS World Rankings 2022, Yale is ranked 14th among top universities while Princeton is ranked 20th. Both universities are celebrated for training students in some of the toughest professions like Law, Computer Science, Business Management and Medicine.
The international enrolment at Yale University is around 3,000 students from more than 120 countries. It constitutes 22% of the total enrolment. Princeton University has around 1800 International students from 100 nations. The graduate employability ranking of Yale University in the year 2022 was 14th whereas Princeton University ranked 15th for the same category.
How Leverage Edu Can Help You Choose?
Our experts at LeverageEdu believe that the following could be the basis for choosing between the two universities.
Both the universities are prestigious and have their own perks. However, if you wish to study at Yale the reasons might be:
- Urban life with easy access to New York
- More than 80 majors to choose from
- Lots of extracurricular activities and sports
- The residential college community is friendly
Princeton might be a good choice if:
- Suburban life is your choice
- And Institute with global reach and international relations
- Many musical groups and departments for students
Still, confused between the world’s best Ivy Leagues- Yale vs Princeton? Call our Leverage Edu study abroad consultants on 1800 572 000 and seek help in shortlisting the best universities in the world! Sign up for a free session with us today!