Princeton University has established exchange agreements with the institutions listed below that allow students from these universities to attend Princeton for study or research programs. Please note, Princeton does NOT accept short-term visiting students except those from recognized exchange partners.

• Bocconi University, Milan, Italy;
• École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL);
• ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland;
• Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), Paris, France;
• National University of Singapore, Singapore;
• Tsinghua University, Beijing, China;
• University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain;
• University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
• University of Oxford (Engineering), Oxford, England;
• University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Students arriving on the exchange are fully integrated into university life and have full access to all the services that Princeton offers. Academically, students will be assigned to a primary department based on their academic interests (for Engineering students, normally students should plan to take at least 50% of their courses in the School of Engineering). However, pending adviser approval, students can oftentimes take any additional courses for which they have the necessary academic preparation or background.

Students will receive assistance in selecting and registering for courses from the Departmental Representative in their primary department at Princeton as well as from the exchange student adviser in the Office of International Programs. All enrolled students also will be assigned to a residential college where they will have advisers as well.

Undergraduate students at Princeton normally take 4 courses across a range of disciplines and exchange students for the most part will be required to take a full course load. The exception will be those students attending as research students who will register for Field Study and take a varied number of courses depending on their research work load.

For specific course offerings in all departments, please consult Princeton University Course offerings database.

Please also see the Exchange Student Guide for more detailed information about course structure and academic expectations at Princeton.

Student Life

Exchange students have the same access to libraries, computing facilities, and health services as do regularly enrolled students. The campus hosts numerous student events and guest speakers, from the world famous to more esoteric experts. These events are open to all Princeton community members including exchange students. In addition, residential colleges hold regular student events and activities that exchange students will be invited to attend.

There are many student clubs to join: special interest groups, cultural and religious groups, pre-professional groups, performing arts groups, and sports clubs. For those chocolate lovers, there is even and Institute of Chocolate Studies. In short, no matter what your interests or affiliations you will likely find a group where you share those interests with fellow Princeton students.

Housing & Dining

Exchange students during the academic year will all be housed on the campus.

Princeton on-campus housing consists of Residential Colleges and upper-classmen housing. Students will indicate a housing preference in their application, but please know that housing is tight on campus, and, therefore, a student’s first choice is not guaranteed. If students are placed in upperclassmen housing, students will be affiliated with a Residential college and will be fully included in the college’s advising system and of all the college activities. The dining plan options can be found on the Campus Dining website.

Expenses

Exchange students will pay their home school’s tuition directly to their home school (except for students from HKU, who will pay tuition to Princeton). Students will generally be required to pay their room, meals, books, and other personal expenses. For a breakdown of estimated expenses, please see the International Student Exchange Fact Sheet.

Payment

Through an arrangement with Western Union Business Solutions, Princeton University provides international students with an alternative method of paying student account bills. This payment method allows you to pay your bill in the currency of your choice and provides a simple and reliable way of initiating payments electronically. The service offers favorable exchange rates compared to most banks and no transaction charges are added by Western Union or Princeton University. Since the transfer is initiated locally, you may experience a reduced bank fee compared to a traditional international wire payment.

For Princeton University's full calendar, visit the Registrar's website.

Please be aware exchange students will be required to arrive a few days before the start of the semester for orientation. The manager of the exchange program will inform students in advance of their arrival date and time. Students arriving earlier than required will need to make alternative housing arrangements until the official start date of the program. Students may not arrive later than the official start date except in certain emergency circumstances.

The application process for incoming students is as follows:

1. First, you must apply through your home institution and be nominated to participate in the exchange.

2. Next, apply through Princeton's online Global Programs System (GPS). Scans of all required documents are accepted. Detailed instructions are available in GPS, but applications generally include:

• Academic Information & Research Background (if applicable)
• Billing Information
• Exchange Program Essays
• Résumé /CV
• Official Home School Transcript
• Faculty Recommendation
• Proof of English language ability (if relevant)*

*English language ability: A minimum score of 100 on the internet-based TOEFL, or a 7 on the IELTS is required for students applying from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris, University of Cantabria, Tsinghua University, and the University of Tokyo. These scores will be required at the time of nomination to attend Princeton. Exceptions may be made for native English speakers.

Your home institution may require additional documents so please consult with them before applying.

Applications are due to Princeton by September 15th for spring semester or by April 15th for fall semester or full academic year. However, each individual institution will have their own internal application deadlines so please consult with them about these dates.

Please note that only nominated students will be able to apply in GPS, and Princeton will only accept nominations from its existing exchange partners.