<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-06-20</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001113668</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PRINCETON REVIEW INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>REVU</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001190621</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>KATZMAN RICHARD</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>5.58</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-06-20</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>5000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-01</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-06-20</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>5000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">This option vests in 16 equal quarterly installments, with the first installment vesting as of 7/1/03.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Stephen Melvin as Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-06-23</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

