Princeton Academic Calendar 2025‑2026: Important Dates

The Princeton Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 is your essential roadmap for every critical date and deadline from Princeton enrollment and registration windows, tuition payment due dates, and course add/drop periods to campus holidays and final exam schedules.

By consulting the Princeton University academic calendar, students can lock in Princeton term dates, navigate the Princeton exam schedule, track Princeton registration deadlines, and never miss the last day to withdraw without a “W”, ensuring seamless academic and financial planning at Princeton.

Princeton operates on a traditional semester system:

• Fall Semester and Spring Semester each span 15 weeks—comprising 12 weeks of scheduled classes, an 8–9‑day Reading Period for final preparation, and a 7‑day Final Exam Period.

While Princeton does not maintain a standard Summer Session, it offers a variety of department‑sponsored Summer Programs ranging in length and format upon application and approval by the hosting department.

Students should consult individual program listings for specific session dates, registration requirements, and credit‑approval procedures.

Keep the Princeton Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 front and center so you can focus on thriving both in the classroom and across the historic campus.

Princeton Academic Calendar Fall 2025

1. Graduate student academic year sign‑in begins at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, August 1, 2025.
2. Continuing graduate student course selection for the Fall Term opens at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, August 1, 2025.
3. New graduate student course selection for the Fall Term opens at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
4. Undergraduate academic year sign‑in begins on Friday, August 22, 2025, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
5. New undergraduate students may begin Fall 2025 course selection on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
6. The Graduate School Opening Address and Orientation are held from Wednesday, August 27, 2025, to Thursday, August 28, 2025.
7. International graduate student orientation takes place on Friday, August 29, 2025.
8. Opening Exercises are held at the University Chapel on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
9. Labor Day is observed on Monday, September 1, 2025; no classes are held on this holiday.
10. Fall Term classes begin at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
11. Undergraduate Add/Drop opens at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 15, 2025.
12. The first day of Ph.D. General Examinations are on Monday, September 22, 2025.
13. Midterm Examination Week runs from Monday, October 6, 2025, to Friday, October 10, 2025.
14. Princeton Fall Break 2025, during which no classes are held, runs from Saturday, October 11, 2025, through Sunday, October 19, 2025. Classes resume for all students on Monday, October 20, 2025.
15. Faculty must report Fall Term midterm grades by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 20, 2025.
16. Undergraduate P/D/F (Pass/D/Fail) grading option selection opens at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, October 20, 2025, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025.
17. The deadline to drop Fall Term courses without academic penalty also ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025.
18. Princeton Thanksgiving Break 2025 begins after the last class on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 (following a Friday meeting pattern) and concludes on Sunday, November 30, 2025. Classes resume after Thanksgiving Recess on Monday, December 1, 2025.
19. Senior Spring Term course selection runs from 7:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
20. Junior Spring Term course selection runs from 7:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
21. Sophomore Spring Term course selection runs from 7:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
22. The last day of Fall Term classes is Thursday, December 4, 2025.
23. Graduate student course change requests for the Fall Term are due by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
24. Reading Period begins on Friday, December 5, 2025; this date also marks the Dean’s Date for submission of written work.
25. First‑year Spring Term course selection runs from 7:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025.
26. Graduate student Spring Term course selection opens at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025.
27. Fall Term final assessments occur from Saturday, December 13, 2025, to Friday, December 19, 2025.
28. The deadline to submit take‑home exercises is Thursday, December 18, 2025.
29. Faculty must submit grades for undergraduate courses with no scheduled final assessments or take‑home exercises by Friday, December 19, 2025.

Princeton Academic Calendar Spring 2026

1. Wintersession classes begin on Monday, January 12, 2026, which is also the first day of Ph.D. General Examinations.
2. Faculty must submit grades for both graduate and undergraduate Wintersession courses by Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
3. Undergraduate submissions for junior independent work are due on Friday, January 16, 2026.
4. Undergraduate Add/Drop opens at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 6, 2026.
5. Faculty must submit grades for junior independent work by Friday, January 23, 2026.
6. Wintersession classes end on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
7. The final day of Ph.D. General Examinations are on Monday, January 26, 2026.
8. Spring Term classes begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026.
9. Spring Midterm Examination Week runs from Monday, March 2, 2026, to Friday, March 6, 2026.
10. Princeton Spring Break 2026 (no classes) is observed from Saturday, March 7, 2026, through Sunday, March 15, 2026. Classes resume on Monday, March 16, 2026; this date also marks the opening of undergraduate P/D/F option selection and the faculty deadline for reporting midterm grades.
11. A.B. Sophomore Major Declaration Period begins on Thursday, March 26, 2026, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
12. The first day of Ph.D. General Examinations for the Spring Term are on Monday, March 30, 2026, and the last day is Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
13. The deadline to drop Spring Term courses without academic penalty and to select the P/D/F grading option is Friday, April 10, 2026.
14. Graduate student reenrollment opens on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, and the reenrollment deadline is Thursday, April 30, 2026.
15. Junior, sophomore, and first‑year Fall Term course selections occur on Wednesday, April 15, 2026; Thursday, April 16, 2026; and Friday, April 17, 2026, respectively.
16. The last day of Spring Term classes is Friday, April 24, 2026.
17. Graduate student course change requests for the Spring Term are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
18. Reading Period runs from Monday, April 27, 2026, through Tuesday, May 5, 2026; the Dean’s Date and graduate course selection deadline both occur at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
19. Senior Departmental/Comprehensive Examinations take place from Wednesday, May 6, 2026, to Thursday, May 7, 2026.
20. Spring Term final assessments occur from Friday, May 8, 2026, to Thursday, May 14, 2026.
21. Faculty must submit grades for undergraduate courses with no scheduled final assessments or take‑home exercises by Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
22. Faculty must submit grades for senior thesis and comprehensive exams by Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
23. Faculty deadlines for graduate and undergraduate course grades, as well as junior independent work grades, fall on Thursday, May 14, 2026, and Tuesday, May 19, 2026, respectively.
24. Honors are due to the Registrar by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
25. Baccalaureate occurs on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
26. Class Day, including the Graduate School Hooding and Recognition Ceremony, is observed on Monday, May 25, 2026.
27. Commencement Day is held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

For more on the Princeton Academic Calendar 2025-2026, visit the Princeton University Calendar website.