---
title: 'The Surprising Key to Princeton''s #1 Ranking'
description: Yes, the academics are good. But there's another reason why it's MONEY's Best College for Your Money in 2016.
authors:
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published: '2016-07-11T11:30:39.000Z'
modified: '2024-04-02T05:19:32.000Z'
section: Education
tags:
  - Best colleges
  - financial aid
word_count: 112
canonical: https://money.com/princeton-best-college-financial-aid/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
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> **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/).

![Ivy League Diversity](https://img.money.com/2016/07/gettyimages-1537369.jpg)
*404401 06: Jian Feng Zhen (L), 23, and Dayi Deng, 23, (R), both from China, walk to class on the campus of Princeton University April 23, 2002 in Princeton, NJ. Twenty-six percent of the student population at Princeton University is an ethnic minority, according to a university spokesperson. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)*

Sure, Princeton University is a well-respected academic institution, a long-time member of the Ivy League.

But that doesn't tell the whole story about why it made the top spot in [Money's Best Colleges ranking](https://money.com/best-colleges/) this year.

The key is Princeton's generous financial aid program, funded in great part by alumni donations. Princeton's need-based aid eases the burden on families with a student attending the school—even families making as much as $250,000 a year. Instead of requiring students and their families to take out loans, all of Princeton's financial aid is in the form of grants. Students from families making less than $65,000 a year can even end up attending Princeton for free.

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