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Princeton University

Princeton University, located in Princeton, New Jersey, is one of the eight Ivy League universities. It was founded as the "College of New Jersey" in 1746, and was originally located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The school moved to Princeton in 1756, still under the original name; the name was officially changed to "Princeton University" in 1896.

Princeton is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in the world. It is amongst the wealthiest, with an endowment of over eight billion US dollars sustained through the continued donations of its alumni and maintained by expert investment advisors. Some idea of Princeton's wealth is gained through its impressive art museum, which features works by Monet and Andy Warhol, amongst other prominent artists.

Princeton offers four-year undergraduate degrees, as well as postgraduate research degrees, but does not have the extensive range of professional postgraduate schools of many other universities - for example, there is no law or business school. Its one major professional school is the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

The campus, located on hectares of lavishly landscaped grounds, features a large number of gothic-style buildings, many dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Contemporary additions to the campus feature some more modern architecture, and much sculpture adorns the campus.

Nassau Hall, the University's oldest building. Note the tiger sculptures beside the steps.

Most of the student body lives on campus at the various "colleges" (which are basically student dorms). Undergraduate social life revolves around a number of "eating clubs" which serve a similar role to fraternities and sororities do at other campuses. Later-year students have the option to live off-campus: few do, as rents in the area are extremely high.

Princeton has a "needs-blind" admission policy, in which students are accepted into Princeton on merit, regardless of their ability to pay the (very steep) fees. Instead of student loans, Princeton simply pays the remainder of costs out of its endowment. Despite these policies, Princeton's student body contains a large proportion of the sons and daughters of the wealthy, and as a group is generally regarded as politically conservative in a "North-Eastern Republican" sense.

Princeton's mascot is the tiger, and its school colors are orange and black.

Famous alumni and faculty

Famous Princeton faculty members or alumni:

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