Princeton University research and development spending, FY2024

  • Princeton, NJ
  • R1
  • Private nonprofit
  • Standard form filer

Princeton University in FY2024

$558.6 million

spent on research and development in FY2024, as reported to the NSF HERD Survey

National rank
#62 of 925
Change on FY2023
up 8.8%
Rank change
down 1

Princeton University reported $558.6 million of research and development spending in FY2024, ranking #62 of the 925 institutions in the survey. That is up 8.8% on FY2023's $513.4 million; its national rank was down 1 place. Federal government is its largest funding source at 44.8% ($250.3 million), followed by institution funds at 28.8%. Its largest field of research is life sciences, $144.0 million or 25.8% of the total.

Over time

Research spending, FY2010 to FY2024

Princeton University research and development expenditures, FY2010 to FY2024A line from $242.6 million in FY2010 to $558.6 million in FY2024. Every plotted figure is in the table below.$0$139.7M$279.3M$419.0M$558.6MFY2010FY2015FY2020FY2024

Standard-form totals FY2010 onwards as revised by NCSES in the newest release; rank is within that series.

Year-by-year figures
Princeton University research and development expenditures by fiscal year, NSF HERD.
Fiscal yearR&D expenditureRank in series
FY2010$242.6 million77
FY2011$263.3 million75
FY2012$275.7 million74
FY2013$269.9 million75
FY2014$293.3 million74
FY2015$279.9 million77
FY2016$307.7 million72
FY2017$334.1 million68
FY2018$365.0 million65
FY2019$385.7 million67
FY2020$396.5 million66
FY2021$404.4 million68
FY2022$461.2 million63
FY2023$513.4 million61
FY2024$558.6 million62

FY2024 breakdown

Where the money came from, and what it paid for

FY2024 funding sources and research fields

Funding sources

The 6 NSF funding sources Princeton University reported in FY2024, largest first. Shares are of its own FY2024 total, and the rank is national within that source.

Princeton University research and development expenditures by funding source, NSF HERD FY2024.
SourceFY2024ShareChange on FY2023US rank
Federal government$250.3 million44.8%+14.0%75
Institution funds$160.8 million28.8%+11.4%63
Nonprofit organizations$83.1 million14.9%+9.2%22
All other sources$43.9 million7.9%−15.6%21
Business$18.7 million3.3%−7.0%81
State and local government$1.9 million0.3%+53.6%253
All sources$558.6 million100.0%+8.8%62

Fields of research

The 9 NSF research fields Princeton University reported in FY2024, largest first.

Princeton University research and development expenditures by field of research, NSF HERD FY2024.
FieldFY2024ShareChange on FY2023US rank
Life sciences$144.0 million25.8%+12.4%104
Physical sciences$126.7 million22.7%+15.2%12
Engineering$101.6 million18.2%+16.8%52
Social sciences$75.0 million13.4%−10.5%10
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences$38.9 million7.0%+15.4%31
Computer and information sciences$31.3 million5.6%+5.0%26
Mathematics and statistics$22.3 million4.0%+32.4%5
Non-S&E$12.4 million2.2%−30.9%153
Psychology$6.5 million1.2%+3.7%85

Neighbours

Ranked around Princeton University

Institutions ranked immediately above and below

The five institutions ranked above Princeton University and the five below it in the FY2024 national ranking.

Institutions ranked immediately above and below Princeton University, NSF HERD FY2024.
RankInstitutionFY2024 R&D
57University of California, Irvine$644.9M
58Case Western Reserve University$642.5M
59University of Georgia$628.1M
60Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences$569.0M
61University of Miami$559.0M
62Princeton University$558.6M
63University of Kansas$546.1M
64Oregon Health and Science University$545.2M
65State University of New York, University at Buffalo$541.9M
66University of Illinois Chicago$532.2M
67University of Kentucky$527.7M

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Data: NSF HERD FY2024, built from NSF's published tables on September 8, 2026. Page updated September 13, 2026.

Data: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, Higher Education Research and Development Survey, FY2024.

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