How large are classes?
Compared with classes at many other research universities, Princeton’s classes are quite small. The departmental courses that you take in your junior and senior years will probably have about 10-20 students – sometimes fewer, rarely more. Independent work is, of course, done individually or as part of a team of 2-4 students. In your sophomore year, the foundation courses in your engineering department will have about 30 to 60 students. The largest required courses that you will encounter will probably occur in your first year. The general chemistry lecture may have about 200 students meeting three times a week. Your weekly general physics lecture may have about 150, but this course is taught primarily in smaller classes of about 15-20 students three times a week.
6% of all undergraduate courses have 100+ students enrolled, but 65% of undergraduate courses have 30 or fewer students enrolled. The larger classes REQUIRE students to register for recitation sections. This provides a smaller setting in which students can ask questions, take quizzes, etc. Certain classes in the freshmen year will automatically be limited to about 25 students. These include science labs, math sections, English composition courses, recitation sections, and most Honors courses.
