Princeton University
701 Carnegie Center Suite 445, Princeton, NJ · IRS data through FY2025
Revenue, expenses and net assets
Revenue Expenses Net assets
| Tax year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $3,208,577,000 | $3,196,203,000 | $38,112,918,000 |
| FY2024 | $3,096,823,000 | $2,885,186,000 | $36,119,101,000 |
| FY2023 | $3,611,165,000 | $2,630,086,000 | $36,222,184,000 |
| FY2022 | $5,021,934,000 | $2,369,524,000 | $37,701,739,000 |
| FY2021 | $4,859,455,000 | $2,152,026,000 | $38,677,789,000 |
| FY2020 | $2,120,040,000 | $2,141,410,000 | $27,926,389,000 |
| FY2019 | $3,055,370,000 | $2,098,105,000 | $27,519,487,000 |
| FY2018 | $2,976,508,000 | $2,020,474,000 | $26,930,111,000 |
| FY2017 | $3,070,215,000 | $2,086,214,000 | $24,366,068,000 |
| FY2016 | $2,495,283,000 | $1,940,044,000 | $22,428,968,000 |
| FY2015 | $2,978,563,000 | $1,803,109,000 | $23,076,467,000 |
| FY2014 | $2,279,363,000 | $1,691,395,000 | $21,282,364,000 |
| FY2013 | $162,392,000 | $1,545,665,000 | $18,261,576,000 |
| FY2012 | $1,557,075,000 | $1,493,405,000 | $16,929,868,000 |
Form 990 filings
The returns filed by Princeton University (EIN 21-0634501), including Form 990 PDFs and e-file data by year, are available in ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. The figures on this page come from IRS data files built from those returns.
Where the revenue came from
| Source | Amount | % of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions & grants | $873,197,769 | 27% |
| Program service revenue | $675,866,000 | 21% |
| Other revenue | $1,659,513,231 | 52% |
Where the money was spent
| Category | Amount | % of expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Program services | $2,795,437,000 | 87% |
| Management & general | $362,441,000 | 11% |
| Fundraising | $38,325,000 | 1% |
What the numbers show
- Other revenue made up 52% of total revenue in FY2025.
- Program services accounted for 87% of functional expenses, management & general 11%, and fundraising 1%.
- 87% of functional expenses went to program services in FY2025. That is higher than 67.3% of 104 Education organizations in NJ.
- Net assets covered about 143.1 months of expenses at the end of the reporting year. That puts it in the 90th percentile among 2028 Education organizations in NJ.
- Total revenue was the highest among 2068 Education organizations in NJ.
- Total revenue rose from $1,557,075,000 in FY2012 to $3,208,577,000 in FY2025. Revenue increased in 7 and decreased in 6 of 13 year-over-year comparisons.
- Expenses exceeded revenue in 2 of 14 reported years (FY2013, FY2020).
- The highest revenue on record here is $5,021,934,000 in FY2022.
- Net assets grew from $16,929,868,000 to $38,112,918,000 between FY2012 and FY2025.
- Contributions and grants made up 37% of revenue in FY2012 and 27% in FY2025.
- Listed in the IRS Publication 78 data as a central organization with a group exemption; its subordinate units may also be eligible.
Figures compared against other organizations of the same NTEE program area in the same state. See the methodology page for how these are calculated and the guide to reading nonprofit financials for their limits.
About this organization
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY IS A PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, NONSECTARIAN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING AND A WORLD-RENOWNED RESEARCH INSTITUTION.
IRS status
| Ruling year | 1984 |
| Subsection | 501(c)(3) |
| Classification | Public charity |
| Program area (NTEE) | B430 — Education (in NJ) |
| Donations | Listed in the IRS Publication 78 data as a central organization with a group exemption; its subordinate units may also be eligible. |
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Source: Internal Revenue Service — Exempt Organizations Business Master File (downloaded November 4, 2026), Statistics of Income extracts, Form 990 e-file data, Publication 78 and the Automatic Revocation list. Figures are as reported by the organization; IRS processing may adjust them. This is not a charity rating and not tax advice. Confirm deductibility in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.
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