Love is in the air this weekend. Whether Valentine’s Day takes you to Nassau Street for dinner, keeps you in for a cozy night, or even finds you out on Prospect Avenue, love finds a majority of Princetonians throughout their time on Princeton’s grounds and beyond.
The Daily Princetonian analyzed the Class of 2024 and the Class of 2025 through their Frosh and Senior Survey data to understand how love grew during their four years on campus.
Margins of error were considered on a per-question basis at the 95 percent confidence level. For all Frosh Survey questions, total responses exceeded the threshold for finite population correction as each sampled over 60 percent of the total class. The margin of error is a model-based estimate and doesn’t capture nonresponse bias of elective surveys.
Romance and Dating
Pooling responses from the Classes of 2024 and 2025 into one population, about one-fifth of Princetonians (roughly 19–22 percent) were in some form of relationship at the time of responding to both Frosh Surveys. By senior spring, that share had risen to approximately 48–52 percent, representing an increase of about 29 percentage points (± 2.5).
Also by senior spring, around seven in 10 and eight in 10 respondents from the Class of 2024 and Class of 2025 respectively reported having had at least one significant other by that point.
About 3 and 7 percent of seniors in the Classes of 2024 and 2025 respectively ended their Princeton years in a situationship, having selected “it’s complicated” when asked about their relationship status, and around 1 and 4 percent were engaged or married by the time they exited FitzRandolph Gate.
Almost 41 percent of Class of 2025 seniors reported that they met their partner at Princeton. Respondents were also presented with a scale to rate dating life at Princeton: one being poor, three being neutral, and five being excellent. Around 46 percent of all respondents answered with a one or a two rating out of five when asked about their satisfaction with dating culture at Princeton. 8.37 percent rated dating culture on campus a five out of five.
Around 65 percent of seniors in the Class of 2025 who reported that they were single were found to be the most dissatisfied with Princeton’s dating culture, rating it either a one or two. Around 31 percent of those that were in a relationship where they met somewhere other than Princeton reported a median score of three describing campus dating culture.
Sex Life and Sexual Orientation
On the matter of sex, again pooling the Classes of 2024 and 2025 together, around 28–30 percent of undergraduate Princetonians likely had sex according to the two classes’ Frosh Survey data. Around 74 to 78 percent of students in those same classes had sex by their senior year, according to the Senior Surveys.
Around 23 percent of Class of 2025 seniors had only one sexual partner during their lifetime, the most prevalent group, followed by around 17 percent having had zero partners and 13 percent with six to ten.
Most seniors from the Classes of 2024 and 2025 reported having sex prior to their years at Princeton. Among seniors that had sex for the first time at Princeton, freshman year was the most popular year for the Class of 2025, while Class of 2024 favored sophomore year.
Princetonians clearly enter and leave the Orange Bubble with various sexual and romantic experiences, so whether this Valentine’s Day finds you with a long-term partner, in something complicated, or flying solo, the numbers suggest there’s still time. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Vincent Etherton is a senior Data writer and head Data editor emeritus for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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