Of the 1,061 athletes listed on Princeton Athletics’ 2024–25 rosters, nearly one-third share an alma mater with at least one other athlete. Across 37 countries and 45 U.S. states and territories across all 36 sports teams, certain high schools and regions emerge as notable pipelines, highlighting distinct patterns in the recruitment process.
Athletes graduated from private — as opposed to public — high schools at higher rates compared to the overall undergraduate body. The 54 percent who attended a private high school, 60 percent higher than the 33.5 percent who attended private schools in the Class of 2028.
Out of the 731 high schools represented in Princeton’s athletic rosters, Noble and Greenough School, a coeducational boarding school located in Dedham, Mass., has the highest number of athletes currently enrolled. Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton — a private Roman Catholic coeducational school in California — follows with 10 athletes.
California and New Jersey rank as the most popular home states of athletes, claiming 153 and 102 athletes, respectively. Outside of the United States, England and Canada are the countries producing the highest number of Princeton athletes — 43 and 42, respectively. Some athletes did not attend a high school in their hometowns. For example, the sixth most popular high school is Deerfield Academy, a private boarding school in Massachusetts.
While most sports do not draw heavily from any single high school, there are a few exceptions. The women’s water polo team includes five athletes from Laguna Beach High School, a public high school in Laguna Beach, Calif. Similarly, the men’s water polo team has five athletes from Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton. According to men’s water polo head coach Dustin Litvak, Sacred Heart’s combination of high academic rigor and highly competitive water polo program makes it a strong pipeline for Princeton.
“These athletes are accustomed to balancing rigorous academics and a demanding sport,” Litvak said, highlighting the demands of the recruiting process for not only athletic ability but also academic excellence.
According to Litvak, the reputation of a school’s athletic program influences his decision to recruit from there.
“Having coached in California for many years, I know many of the high school coaches and their programs, which helps when evaluating athletes’ potential,” he said.
In some cases, having multiple athletes from the same high school can positively influence team dynamics. Litvak noted that “it can help with team chemistry since the athletes already know each other and understand the sport’s demands.”
However, recruiting from a single high school is not a deliberate recruiting strategy, as most athletes generally initiate contact with the coaching staff, Litvak explained, often during freshman and sophomore years.
Thirty-four percent of athletes on the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams share a high school with at least one other Tiger athlete. The men’s lacrosse team has a 39 percent school overlap with other athletes at Princeton, with six athletes from Brunswick School, a private boys’ school in Greenwich, Conn.
While Princeton athletes come from places around the world, certain sports have stronger regional representation than others. Sixty-one percent of the water polo team, for example, is composed of athletes from California.
Madeline Wadsworth is a contributing Data writer for the ‘Prince.’
Danna Duarte is a contributing Data writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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