#58 in the world · QS 2027

New York University

A research university woven into Greenwich Village, with sister degree campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.

New York City, New York, United States Private research university Founded 1831 Official website

Photo: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 3.0

Acceptance rate: 9.1%; First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)
Students: 57,275; 29,471 undergraduates
International: 26%; of students
Student–faculty: 12:1; ratio
Tuition: $68,576; From · 2026-27

About NYU

New York University was chartered in 1831 and has kept its main campus in Greenwich Village, around Washington Square Park, since 1833. There's no gated quad: NYU's buildings are mixed into the streets of lower Manhattan, and the Tandon School of Engineering is in Brooklyn's MetroTech Center. With 57,275 students in fall 2025 (29,471 of them undergraduates), it is one of the largest private universities in the US.

In New York, undergraduates apply to a specific school: the College of Arts & Science, Gallatin (individualized study), Liberal Studies, Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Silver School of Social Work, Steinhardt, Stern, Tandon or Tisch. NYU also has degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, and 13 study-away sites worldwide, from Accra and Buenos Aires to Florence, London and Sydney.

NYU suits independent students who want the city as their campus. You'll build your own community through your school, clubs and neighborhood, not through a traditional residential college. It is especially strong for film and performing arts (Tisch), business (Stern) and mathematics (the Courant Institute). It is also one of the most applied-to universities in the country: more than 114,000 students applied for fall 2025 entry.

Perstare et praestare

“To persevere and to excel” — university motto

Why students choose NYU

NYU's film alumni include Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and Ang Lee, and applicants to every Tisch School of the Arts program submit an audition or portfolio.

You can apply to three degree-granting campuses (New York, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai) through one Common App and study away at 13 global academic sites.

Under the NYU Promise, NYU meets 100% of demonstrated need for first-year students admitted to the New York campus, and families earning under $100,000 with typical assets pay no tuition.

The Gallatin School of Individualized Study lets you design your own interdisciplinary course of study inside a major research university.

Admissions

First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)

About 1 in 11 applicants is admitted

10,340 admitted from 114,125 applicants

SAT 1480–1550

1000120014001600

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

ACT 34–35

2024283236

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

You apply to a specific school and campus. Tisch programs and Steinhardt Music and Studio Art also require an audition or portfolio.

Testing Test-optional through the 2026-2027 application cycle. If you submit testing, you choose one type (SAT, ACT, at least three AP exams, IB, A-levels or other national exams), and SAT/ACT are superscored

Grades The CDS lists rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, the application essay, recommendations and character/personal qualities as 'very important'. Class rank, interviews and alumni relations are not considered.

Typical entry requirements

A-levels	At least 3 A-levels; predicted or final results required. Stern and Tandon applicants should take Mathematics and/or Further Mathematics.
AP (if used as your testing)	At least three exams: one humanities, one math or science, one of your choice. Stern and Tandon require a math exam.
Indian Class XII / Australian ATAR	Predicted or final results required, whatever testing type you choose
English language	IELTS 7.5 · TOEFL iBT 100 No minimums, but competitive applicants have TOEFL iBT 100+ (tests on or before January 20, 2026) or 5+ (from January 21, 2026), IELTS Academic 7.5+, Duolingo 135+, PTE Academic 70+, or Cambridge 191+. Required unless you have had at least 3 years of English-medium study.

Deadlines

Early Decision I Binding Next deadline · In 26 days

November 1, 2026

Decision by December 15. CSS Profile due November 10; confirm the exact date on NYU's admissions site.
Early Decision II Binding In ~3 months

January 1, 2027

Decision by February 15.
Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 months

January 5, 2027

Decision by April 1.

nyu.edu blocks automated access, so the dates were checked on NYU Abu Dhabi's live Key Dates and Deadlines page (September 2026), which lists the same NYU-wide schedule used on the shared Common App: Early Decision I November 1 (decision December 15), Early Decision II January 1 (February 15), Regular Decision January 5 (April 1), cut-off 11:59 pm Eastern. The same pattern appears in the archived 2025-26 New York page and the 2025-26 CDS. NYU's pages give no year, so confirm on nyu.edu before submitting. Audition and portfolio applicants should submit about a month early.

How to apply

Common App (choose campuses and programs on the NYU page), $85 fee or waiver; School Report and transcript; one required letter of recommendation (up to three); optional testing; Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) after submission; audition or portfolio for Tisch, Steinhardt Music and Studio Art; midyear report

What admissions looks for

A rigorous high school curriculum and strong academic GPA, both rated 'very important' in the CDS.
Strong essays and recommendations, also 'very important'.
Character and personal qualities, the one nonacademic factor NYU rates 'very important'.
Extracurriculars, talent, volunteer and work experience, and level of interest, all considered.
For Tisch and some Steinhardt programs, artistic ability shown through the required audition or portfolio.

Tips for applying to NYU

1 Choose your school and campus carefully on the NYU Common App page: you are reviewed by that program, and Stern and Tandon expect math preparation.
2 If you submit testing, you must pick one type, and NYU only considers that one. Choose whichever of SAT, ACT, three APs, IB or A-levels shows you best.
3 Early Decision II (January 1) gives a second binding option if NYU becomes your first choice after November.
4 For Tisch or Steinhardt audition/portfolio programs, submit the Common App about a month before the deadline to leave time for the creative requirement.
5 Interviews are not part of the process (the CDS lists them as not considered), so the essays and recommendation carry the personal side of your application.

What are your chances?

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in USD

Tuition & fees, New York campus (most schools $68,576; Stern $70,464; Tisch $75,326) Tuition $68,576 – $75,326

+ food and housing (estimate) $26,438 ≈ from $95,014 per year

Tuition Food and housing (estimate)

Official cost of attendance $100,998

Financial aid

Through the NYU Promise, NYU meets 100% of demonstrated need for first-time first-year students admitted to the New York campus, and families earning under $100,000 with typical assets pay no tuition. Some need-based institutional aid is available to international students, who apply with the CSS Profile.

No tuition (NYU Promise)
Families under $100K with typical assets: 100%
Demonstrated need met (New York campus first-years): 342; average $36,562
International undergraduates awarded institutional aid (CDS 2025-26): $100,998
Estimated 2026-27 cost of attendance, College of Arts & Science

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters (fall and spring)

Tisch School of the Arts (film and performing arts)

NYU alumni include directors Spike Lee (MFA 1982) and Ang Lee (MFA 1984) and actor Pedro Pascal (BFA 1997); every Tisch program requires an audition or portfolio.

Stern School of Business

Undergraduate business school on the Washington Square campus, with its own math expectations for applicants.

Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences

NYU's center for mathematics and computer science, part of a cluster that includes the Center for Data Science.

Gallatin School of Individualized Study

Students design their own individualized, interdisciplinary program of study.

NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai

Full degree-granting campuses you can apply to through the same Common App.

Research

The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, the Center for Data Science and the Center for Neural Science are among NYU's internal research centers.
NYU Langone Health, the university's academic medical center, is home to the Grossman School of Medicine.
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library on Washington Square South is the flagship of the NYU Libraries system.

Schools & faculties

College of Arts & Science
Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Liberal Studies
Rory Meyers College of Nursing
Silver School of Social Work
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
Stern School of Business
Tandon School of Engineering
Tisch School of the Arts
School of Professional Studies
NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Shanghai

Graduation rate

88%

First-year students who return

96%

NYU's cost-of-attendance page says recent NYU bachelor's graduates earn about $76,000 a year on average.

Student life

Washington Square Park is NYU's de facto quad: students cross it between classes, and Gould Plaza and Bobst Library border it. In fall 2025, 82% of first-years lived in university housing, including residence halls around the square such as Goddard, Lipton and Weinstein, but only 38% of all undergraduates did, so most students move into the city after the first year or two. Social life is spread across clubs, school communities and the neighborhoods of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and many students spend a semester at a global site.

NYU Violets (mascot: the Bobcat) compete in NCAA Division III in the University Athletic Association.
The John A. Paulson Center on Mercer Street is the new home of NYU Athletics.
13 global academic sites for study away, including Florence's 57-acre Villa La Pietra campus.
Washington Square News is the student newspaper.

Housing. Most first-years live in NYU residence halls (82% in fall 2025), but only 38% of all undergraduates live in university housing.

Location

NYU's New York campus is in Greenwich Village in lower Manhattan, with engineering in Downtown Brooklyn. You get subway access to the whole city, internships and cultural institutions nearby, and endless food and music within walking distance. The tradeoff is New York prices and no enclosed campus, so students need to be comfortable finding their own way.

Nearest airport: LaGuardia (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK)

Notable alumni

MS
Martin Scorsese

Film director (B.A. 1964, M.A. 1968)
SL
Spike Lee

Film director (M.F.A. 1982)
AL
Ang Lee

Academy Award-winning director (M.F.A. 1984)
AG
Alan Greenspan

Chair of the Federal Reserve (B.A. 1948, M.A. 1950, Ph.D. 1977)
FG
Fiorello La Guardia

Mayor of New York City (L.L.B. 1910)
DH
Dorothy Height

Civil rights and women's rights leader (B.A. 1933, M.A. 1934)
PP
Pedro Pascal

Actor (B.F.A. 1997)
HJ
Hakeem Jeffries

U.S. House Democratic Leader (J.D. 1996)

Frequently asked questions

What is NYU's acceptance rate?

For fall 2025 entry, NYU admitted 10,340 of 114,125 first-year applicants, about 9.1% (2025-26 Common Data Set).

Is NYU test-optional for fall 2027?

Yes. NYU remains test-optional through the 2026-2027 application cycle. If you submit testing, you choose one type (SAT, ACT, three APs, IB, A-levels or other national exams), and only that type is considered.

What SAT score do you need for NYU?

Enrolled first-years in fall 2025 who submitted the SAT had a middle 50% of 1480-1550; the ACT middle 50% was 34-35.

Does NYU give financial aid to international students?

Yes, to some. International applicants apply with the CSS Profile, and in 2025-26, 342 international undergraduates received institutional aid averaging $36,562.

Does NYU have interviews?

No. NYU's Common Data Set lists interviews as not considered in first-year admission.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.