New York, NY · Private · 28,663 undergraduates · urban
New York University
Extremely selective
NYU is the private university most identified with New York itself: no enclosed campus, no central quad, and professional schools woven through Greenwich Village and downtown Brooklyn. That structure gives students immediate access to finance, media, arts, technology, research, and public life. It also asks them to build community intentionally because the city will not do it for them.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Exceptional in academic standing, and solid in student experience.- Admission
- 9.4% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 87.7%
113,578 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$82,509 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets NYU apart
The city is the campus
Academic buildings, residence halls, employers, and cultural institutions sit inside ordinary New York streets.
School choice changes the experience
Business, arts, liberal studies, engineering, nursing, and other schools have distinct curricula and communities.
A global network creates alternate routes
Study-away sites and degree campuses make location planning part of the academic design.
The NYU map
Build a college experience from the city
NYU gives students access first; coherence comes from the school, community, and work they choose.
Establish an academic home
The undergraduate unit supplies curriculum and the first peer group.
Enter a working institution
Internships, performance, research, and service happen during the semester.
Create recurring contact
Housing, clubs, teams, and friendships prevent the city from fragmenting the experience.
Can I get in?
9.4% admitted
NYU admits by undergraduate school, and artistic programs may require auditions or portfolios. Preparation and written purpose should fit the specific school rather than the university name alone.
Recent applicant pool
113,578About 9 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 27% submitted an SAT, and 12% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for NYU, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What NYU weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Choose the undergraduate school first
The application should fit the curriculum and culture of the unit reviewing it.
Give New York a concrete use
Name the work, institution, or community the location makes possible.
Show self-direction
Evidence should demonstrate that the student can create structure in a dispersed urban setting.
Complete artistic requirements precisely
Auditions and portfolios carry the decision in performance and studio programs.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
NYU offers Early Decision rounds and Regular Decision. School selection, artistic requirements, alternate campuses, and study-away interests need to form one coherent route.
Fee waiver: accepted
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Performing and visual artsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
BusinessAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Communication and journalismAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Teacher preparationAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
EngineeringAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Health professionsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Hospitality and hotel managementAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
The published price is high and New York living costs remain significant. Families should compare the actual aid offer, housing plan, and likely personal expenses.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
New York University publishes one merit award. All of them renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit and financial need · Competitive · Renews
In the season card
This award, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- How to be considered
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at NYU
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Finance, arts, media, technology, business, health, research, and public service benefit from year-round access to New York employers and institutions.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Admits separately
Economics
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Research and Experimental Psychology
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
NYU beyond the classroom
Washington Square is the symbolic center, but residence halls, schools, clubs, and internships spread students across the city. The experience is urban first and conventionally collegiate second.
Residence halls create the first city network
Housing helps new students build community before school, work, and neighborhood routines spread them out.
The city quickly outruns the meal plan
Campus dining supports the transition, while Greenwich Village and Brooklyn make neighborhood food part of daily life.
Organizations compete with the city
Arts, media, service, business, cultural groups, research, politics, and entrepreneurship all connect to outside institutions.
Community must be built deliberately
Residence halls, school cohorts, clubs, performances, and city venues replace a single campus social center.
Transit and work shape the schedule
Internships and travel between buildings can add real opportunity and real time pressure.