Madison learned mathematics, geography, and modern and classical languages, becoming exceptionally proficient in Latin.[13][14] At age 16, Madison returned to Montpelier, where he studied under the Reverend Thomas Martin to prepare for college. Unlike most college-bound Virginians of his day, Madison did not attend the College of William and Mary, where the lowland Williamsburg climate—thought to be more likely to harbor infectious disease—might have strained his sensibilities concerning his own health.[15] Instead, in 1769, he enrolled at the College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University).[16]

Madison as a student at Princeton, portrait by James Sharples
His college studies included Latin, Greek, theology, and the works of the Enlightenment.[17] Emphasis was placed on both speech and debate; Madison was a leading member of the American Whig–Cliosophic Society, which competed on campus with a political counterpart, the Cliosophic Society.[18] During his time at Princeton, Madison's closest friend was future Attorney General William Bradford.[19] Along with another classmate, Madison undertook an intense program of study and completed the college's three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in two years, graduating in 1771.