Yeshiva University
New York's Jewish university, pairing a college degree with daily Torah study on separate men's and women's campuses.
- Acceptance rate
- 56%
- First-year students entering fall 2024 (IPEDS via College Navigator and College Scorecard)
- Students
- 7,455
- 2,879 undergraduates
- International
- 7%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 7:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $54,500
- 2026-27
About YU
Yeshiva University traces its roots to Etz Chaim, a yeshiva founded in 1886 on Manhattan's Lower East Side, and is today a private university chartered by New York State with 7,455 students in fall 2025, including 2,879 undergraduates. It describes itself as the flagship Jewish university, and its undergraduate schools teach a dual curriculum built on Torah Umadda: a full liberal arts, science or business degree alongside daily Jewish studies.
Undergraduates enroll in three schools. Yeshiva College (men) and the men's division of the Sy Syms School of Business are on the Wilf Campus in Washington Heights; Stern College for Women and the women's Sy Syms division are on the Beren Campus in Midtown Manhattan. Sy Syms is the largest undergraduate school, with 947 students in fall 2025. Graduate students, now the majority, study at the Katz School of Science and Health, Cardozo School of Law, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Wurzweiler School of Social Work and YU's Jewish studies schools.
Many students start with a year in Israel: 658 undergraduates were enrolled through the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program in fall 2025. With a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and most undergraduates living on campus, YU suits students who want a religiously observant community and a long academic day in the middle of New York City.
תורה ומדע (Torah Umadda)
“Torah and secular knowledge” — university motto
Why students choose YU
A dual curriculum that pairs a secular major with Torah study; in fall 2025, 1,208 men were enrolled in the four undergraduate Torah studies programs, from advanced Talmud study to programs for students newer to it.
Credit-bearing gap years: the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program counts a year at one of more than 40 partner yeshivot and seminaries toward a YU degree.
Small classes, with a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and most undergraduate class sections under 20 students.
Honors early assurance tracks into the YU-Einstein medical school pathway, Cardozo School of Law and the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology.
Admissions
First-year students entering fall 2024 (IPEDS via College Navigator and College Scorecard)
About 1 in 2 applicants is admitted
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
College Navigator reports 1,665 first-year applicants for fall 2024 with 56% admitted (College Scorecard: 55.6%) and 61% of admitted students enrolling. In the 2023-24 Common Data Set, YU admitted 1,092 of 1,713 applicants for fall 2023 (about 64%), including all 129 early decision applicants. YU's freshman page says applicants typically have a high school average of 85 or higher (a solid B average).
Typical entry requirements
| U.S. high school diploma | High school average typically 85 or higher (solid B average); the CDS lists no fixed course-unit requirements |
|---|---|
| International secondary education | Official transcripts; those not in English or Hebrew need a certified translation and evaluation from a NACES-approved agency |
| Early Admission (after 11th grade) | High school average of 90 or better, SAT 1340+ or ACT 29+, and approval from the high school |
| English language | IELTS 7 · TOEFL iBT 82 Required if your language of instruction has not been English. Minimums: TOEFL 82, IELTS 7, Duolingo 115, sent directly by the testing service. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision (Honors) Binding Next deadline · In 27 daysNovember 2, 2026
Required route for the Honors programs and the Honors Leadership Society; decision December 15, 2026; deposit due January 15, 2027. Official test scores must arrive by this deadline.
- Spring 2027 entry Non-binding In ~2 monthsDecember 15, 2026
Rolling decisions from November 2, 2026; deposit due January 1, 2027.
- Fall 2027 general admission Non-binding In ~4 monthsFebruary 1, 2027
Rolling decisions from December 16, 2026; deposit due May 3, 2027. February 1 is also the priority FAFSA deadline.
Dates are from YU's undergraduate deadlines page for spring and fall 2027. Applications completed after the posted deadline are waitlisted and considered as space allows, except Honors, which has no waitlist. International students may apply for fall or spring and are encouraged to apply early for visa processing.
How to apply
YU Application or Common Application; $65 fee; one essay (650 words or less) from seven prompts; a YU personal statement (250 words or less); resume or activity list; official transcript; one recommendation (two for Honors and international applicants); a required admissions interview. Honors applicants also submit a short video response and official SAT or ACT scores.
What admissions looks for
- YU says it reviews applications holistically, considering academics, character, leadership, creativity and potential.
- Academic record: the CDS lists rigor of the high school record and GPA as very important.
- The essay and the interview, which YU calls essential ways to understand who you are and how you will thrive at YU.
- Fit with YU's values: the personal statement asks how YU will support your academic goals while helping you grow personally and within your values.
Tips for applying to YU
- 1 Book your admissions interview early: it is required for every applicant, and applicants studying in Israel schedule it through YU's Israel admissions office.
- 2 If you want Honors or the Straus, Lieberman-Mitzner or Leadership scholar cohorts, apply Early Decision by November 2, 2026 with official SAT or ACT scores; regular decision applicants are not eligible.
- 3 Treat the 250-word personal statement on values as seriously as the main essay; it is specific to YU.
- 4 If you plan a gap year at a partner yeshiva or seminary, enroll through the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program so the year earns YU credit and qualifies for federal aid.
- 5 International applicants should file YU's International Student Aid Application from the applicant portal at the same time as applying.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Yeshiva University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
YU offers need-based aid (FAFSA school code 002903) and merit scholarships, including Honors scholarships of up to $25,000 a year that are renewable for four years. International students cannot receive U.S. federal aid but can receive YU grants and a YU Loan of up to $8,000 a year through the International Student Aid Application. YU institutional aid does not apply to the Israel year, though federal and New York State aid does.
- 90%
- Average share of need met, all undergraduates (CDS 2023-24)
- $39,331
- Average need-based scholarship or grant, all undergraduates (CDS 2023-24)
- 172, averaging $50,050
- International undergraduates awarded institutional aid (CDS 2023-24)
- 94%, average $31,510
- Full-time first-years receiving grant or scholarship aid (IPEDS 2023-24)
- $39,681
- Average net price for first-years receiving grant aid (IPEDS 2023-24)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (fall and spring), plus summer sessions
Sy Syms School of Business
YU's largest undergraduate school, with 947 students in fall 2025 across its men's and women's divisions; finance and accounting are its biggest majors.
Honors programs
Three programs (Schottenstein Honors at Yeshiva College, S. Daniel Abraham Honors at Stern and Business Honors at Sy Syms) with seminar classes, a senior thesis and scholarships of up to $25,000 a year.
Undergraduate Torah Studies
1,208 men were enrolled in the four morning Torah studies programs in fall 2025, and Jewish studies run through the curriculum at Stern College for Women.
S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program
658 undergraduates studied in Israel in fall 2025 while enrolled at YU, earning credit and staying eligible for federal aid.
Biology and pre-health at Stern College
Stern offers biology, biochemistry and pre-health preparation, and Honors students can be considered for early assurance into the YU-Einstein medical pathway.
Research
- The Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, which also runs a Straus Scholars honors cohort.
- The Senator Joseph Lieberman-Mitzner Center for Public Service and Advocacy and the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
- The Yeshiva University Museum, a teaching museum founded in 1973 and part of the Center for Jewish History in lower Manhattan.
Schools & faculties
- Yeshiva College
- Stern College for Women
- Sy Syms School of Business
- Mordecai D. Katz Associate Programs
- Katz School of Science and Health
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
- Wurzweiler School of Social Work
- Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration
- Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies
- Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (affiliate)
College Scorecard: median earnings of $71,353 ten years after entry and $60,252 six years after entry for federally aided students. YU's undergraduate admissions site says 98% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months, without giving a year.
Student life
YU runs as two single-sex undergraduate communities: men at the Wilf Campus in Washington Heights and women at the Beren Campus in Midtown, each with kosher dining and residence halls. The academic day is long, with Torah study in the morning and college courses in the afternoon and evening. Most undergraduates live on campus (94% of first-years and 70% of all undergraduates in fall 2023, according to the CDS), and weekly Shabbat programming keeps many students on campus over weekends. The Commentator and The Observer are the student newspapers.
- More than 200 clubs and student activities, according to YU admissions.
- 15 NCAA Division III teams, the Maccabees; the men's basketball team won 50 straight games before losing in December 2021.
- YU hosts the Sarachek Basketball Tournament and YUNMUN, a Model UN conference, both featured as admissions events for high school students.
- Weekly Shabbat programming and student-run councils on both campuses.
Housing. Men live in Wilf Campus halls such as Muss, Rubin and Morgenstern, and women in Midtown buildings including Brookdale, Schottenstein and 35th Street; 2026-27 rates run from $9,900 to $17,500 a year.
Location
The Wilf Campus sits in Washington Heights near the northern tip of Manhattan, a residential neighborhood linked to Midtown by subway. The Beren Campus is on Lexington Avenue in Murray Hill, in Midtown Manhattan, and the Brookdale Center is on Fifth Avenue near Greenwich Village. Students have all of New York City on their doorstep, but should expect subway commutes between campuses and high living costs.
Nearest airport: LaGuardia Airport (LGA); JFK and Newark Liberty (EWR) also serve New York
Notable alumni
- CP Chaim PotokNovelist, author of The Chosen; BA in English literature, summa cum laude, 1950
- SJ Samuel J. DanishefskyOrganic chemist at Columbia and Memorial Sloan Kettering, Wolf Prize in Chemistry 1995/96; BS 1956
- HF Hillel FurstenbergMathematician, Abel Prize and Wolf Prize laureate; BA and MSc from YU in 1955
- AL Aharon LichtensteinRosh yeshiva and Israel Prize laureate; BA 1953 and rabbinic ordination from YU's RIETS
- GM Grace MengU.S. Representative for New York; JD from Cardozo School of Law
- RW Randi WeingartenPresident of the American Federation of Teachers since 2008; JD from Cardozo School of Law, 1983
- EH Eddie HuangChef, author and television personality; JD from Cardozo School of Law, 2008
- RT Ryan TurellPlayed basketball for the Maccabees; first Orthodox Jew selected in the NBA G League draft (2022)
Frequently asked questions
What is Yeshiva University's acceptance rate?
About 56%: YU received 1,665 first-year applications for fall 2024 and admitted 56% of them, according to IPEDS data. For fall 2023 the Common Data Set shows 1,092 admits from 1,713 applicants.
Does Yeshiva University require the SAT or ACT?
Not for general admission, where scores are optional. They are required for all Honors applicants and must be sent officially by the Early Decision deadline of November 2, 2026.
Is an interview required at Yeshiva University?
Yes. Every applicant has an interview with an admissions officer, either at their school or by appointment, and select Honors candidates have an additional Honors interview with a faculty member.
How much does Yeshiva University cost in 2026-27?
Full-time undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees are $54,500, with student health insurance ($6,654) billed on top. A standard room and the Standard meal plan add about $16,825 a year.
Can international students get financial aid at YU?
Yes. International students are not eligible for U.S. federal aid but can receive YU merit scholarships, need-based grants and a YU Loan of up to $8,000 a year by filing the International Student Aid Application in the applicant portal.
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.
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