Is Northwestern or Princeton better for interdisciplinary studies?

For interdisciplinary study, Northwestern usually gives you more built-in flexibility. Princeton is also excellent, but its academic structure is a bit more centered on depth within a department.

Northwestern tends to fit students who want to mix fields in a practical, customizable way and who like the idea of sampling widely before locking in a path. It is especially attractive if your interests cross very different areas, such as engineering plus design, CS plus journalism, or economics plus theatre.

Princeton makes more sense for someone whose interdisciplinary interests are still academically intense and theory-driven, especially if they want close faculty mentorship and a strong research focus. Princeton does offer excellent interdisciplinary certificates and programs, and students can absolutely work across fields. But the overall feel is often more structured, with independent research and departmental expectations playing a bigger role in how you shape your education.

If what excites you most is freedom to combine interests and build an unusually broad academic mix, Northwestern has the edge. If you want interdisciplinary work within a more intimate, research-heavy environment where depth and independent scholarship are central, Princeton may feel more rewarding.