Chartered in 1746 as the College of New Jersey—the name by which it was known for 150 years—Princeton University was British North America’s fourth college. Located in Elizabeth for one year and in Newark for nine, the College of New Jersey moved to Princeton in 1756. It was housed in Nassau Hall, which was newly built on land donated by Nathaniel FitzRandolph. In 1896, when expanded program offerings brought the College university status, the College of New Jersey was officially renamed Princeton University. The Graduate School was established in 1900.

The University provides its students with academic, extracurricular and other resources that prepare them for positions of leadership and lives of service in many fields of human endeavor. Princeton recognizes that talent exists in every sector of American society, and the University has an obligation to attract exceptional people of every background and enable them to flourish on our campus.