Is Princeton better than MIT?
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1 Answer
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Both are very good but in different areas. MIT is considered a better choice for STEM courses. Princeton University stands out for its UG Liberal Arts courses. MIT has a better global reputation. It ranks above Princeton in the world rankings given by Shiksha and QS World. Princeton ranks above MIT on a national level as part of US News rankings.
Both offer very similar chances of admission. Princeton acceptance rate is 4.6%. MIT's stands at 4.5%.
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The university does not have a specific requirement of IELTS scores. The requirement can vary for different courses. It generally ranges between 7.0-8.0 for most courses. Some courses may also ask for 8.5. Students are advised to check the course page for the course they wish to pursue.
For Graduate courses, a score of 8.0 is usually required. Students with a IELTS score less than that, a TOEFL Speaking score less than 27, or DET score less than 125, have to take a language test at Princeton University USA.
US News, THE, and QS have all ranked it highly in their country-level and global rankings. Given below is a comparison of its US and World Ranking of the last 3 years, as given by these prominent platforms.
| Platform | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News - USA Ranking | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| QS - World Ranking | #25 | #22 | #17 |
| THE - World Ranking | #3 | #4 | #6 |
MIT ranks #1 globally in the latest Shiksha and QS Rankings. It has ranked #1 for the last 3 years in the rankings given by QS. US News, however, ranks Harvard as the #1 university. MIT ranks #2 as part of its rankings. Times Higher Education ranks Oxford #1 for 2026, while MIT finishes at #2.
Princeton, Harvard, and Yale are considered the "Big 3". Their dominance in American College football being the reason. Also called "HYP", these 3 universities still remain rivals. Each of them have consistently ranked among the top 25 global universities for several years.
Harvard (#2) ranks above both Yale (#11) and Princeton (#12) in the latest global rankings given by Shiksha.
Princeton has a more thesis-based education culture. Other Ivy League universities have a more project-based culture. Given below is how Princeton University USA compares to the rest of the Ivy League.
| Parameter | Princeton | Other Ivy League Universities |
|---|---|---|
| Course Focus | More demanding UG courses with smaller class sizes | Efforts divided more equally across UG and PG levels |
| Research | Early Access to Research from the freshman year itself | Late Access |
| Schools | No Professional Schools (Law, Medicine, or Business) | Many Professional Schools |
| Scholarships | Debt-Free Financial Aid | Many Scholarships usually ask for debt to be repaid |
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