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Princeton University Best Programs & Majors for International Students 2026

Princeton University's strongest programs and what each is genuinely known for — beyond marketing copy. With BrightKey's view on which serves international students best.

Princeton University's strongest programs include Mathematics, School of Public and International Affairs, Physics.

Notable programs

Mathematics

Ranked number one globally in the Shanghai subject ranking with a perfect 100.0 Award score reflecting the highest density of Fields Medalists (16) at any single institution. Home to Andrew Wiles (Fermat's Last Theorem), Manjul Bhargava, and June Huh.

School of Public and International Affairs

Founded 1930, enrolls 258 juniors and seniors, and counts among its 10,000 alumni multiple secretaries of state, a Supreme Court justice, and a Federal Reserve chair. The SINSI programme combines an MPA with direct federal government placement.

Physics

Seven current or emeritus faculty hold Nobel Prizes, including John Hopfield (2024) for neural-network foundations and Syukuro Manabe (2021) for climate modelling. Operates the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory for the Department of Energy.

Computer Science

Now the most popular concentration with 406 juniors and seniors enrolled. Turing Award affiliates number 17. Graduates place at Google, Citadel Securities, Jane Street, and Five Rings Capital, with software engineering interns reporting the highest summer wages of any Princeton field.

Economics

Multiple Nobel laureates on faculty (Angus Deaton 2015, Christopher Sims 2011). Second-most popular major with 302 juniors and seniors. The Bendheim Center for Finance provides a dedicated undergraduate pathway to quantitative finance roles at Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater, and Citadel.

Operations Research and Financial Engineering

Bridges applied mathematics, probability theory, and financial markets in a programme that feeds directly into quantitative trading firms. Enrolled 139 juniors and seniors in 2024-25, making it the seventh-most popular concentration despite its technical demands.

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