We’ve talked before about the allure of NYU. Located at the heart of New York City, NYU offers students a rigorous education, easy access to jobs and internships, and a vibrant cultural and social scene. With no boundaries to separate the university from the rest of the city, NYU encourages its 29,700 undergraduate students to explore New York as part of their undergraduate education.
Within the school, undergraduate students can pursue over 230 possible areas of study, spread over 17 different schools and divisions. On its New York campus, some of the most popular schools include:
College of Arts and Science: CAS contains many of the traditional college majors, ranging from art history to physics to economics.
Leonard N. Stern School of Business: Stern offers opportunities for students interested in business and entrepreneurship.
Tisch School of the Arts: Students interested in performing and media arts will want to explore Tisch, which has undergraduate programs in dance, drama, and performance studies.
Tandon School of Engineering: Located in Brooklyn, Tandon gives students the chance to dive into many areas of engineering.
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development: Founded as the first school of pedagogy in the U.S., Steinhardt currently offers programs in education, applied psychology, media, and music.
Gallatin School of Individualized Study: Perhaps NYU’s most unique school, Gallatin invites students to design their own interdisciplinary program of study. For example, one past student developed a concentration bringing together computer science, public policy, and colonial theory.
In addition to its New York offerings, NYU also has degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, which offer 26 and 19 undergraduate majors, respectively.
You Should Consider NYU If…
You’re independent: NYU’s full immersion in the city of New York can be wonderful for some students—and overwhelming for others. Before applying, ask yourself whether you’d thrive in a fast-paced, urban environment that lacks a traditional campus feel. (Take a look at NYU’s virtual tour to get a sense of the school’s environment for yourself.) If you’re excited about exploring a new city and a new school at the same time, then NYU could be the perfect place for you.
You have a global outlook: NYU President Andrew Hamilton has described the university as “urban,” “rigorous,” and—pointedly—“global.” In addition to its three degree-granting campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, NYU also offers study abroad locations in places like Berlin, London, and Tel Aviv. Pre-pandemic, over 40% of NYU students studied abroad during their college career—more than at any other American university! If you’re interested in exploring the world, NYU has great opportunities for you.
You’re an international student: As we’ve said for years, international students are at a disadvantage in the U.S. college admissions process. While colleges deny having quotas for international students, most top schools limit them to 8-12% of each incoming class. NYU is an exception to this rule: last year, 19% of admitted students were international. In fact, surveys by the Institute of International Education have consistently found that NYU admits the most international students of any school in the U.S. If you are an international student hoping to study in America, you’ll definitely want to take a look at NYU.
By the Numbers: NYU’s Acceptance Rate
NYU’s acceptance rate has been dropping precipitously over the past few years. Just 10 years ago, the university had a 33% acceptance rate. Last year, however, the university admitted just 12.8% of applicants. While this increase in selectivity matches the larger trend among top universities, NYU’s narrowing admit rates have been particularly striking. Take a look at the recent data:
NYU Acceptance Rates Over the Past Five Years
- Class of 2025: 12.8%
- Class of 2024: 15%
- Class of 2023: 16%
- Class of 2022: 20%
- Class of 2021: 27.7%
In part, the extreme selectivity of recent years is due to NYU’s decision to go test-optional. While NYU has long had a flexible testing policy that allows students to submit alternatives to the SAT and ACT, the university went fully test-optional in 2020 in response to the pandemic. This flexibility—coupled with the university’s great programs and the appeal of living in New York—sent NYU’s application numbers sky-rocketing. Last year, the university received over 100,000 applications (an increase of 15,000 from the previous year). NYU has remained test optional for the Class of 2026, so we can expect to see a similarly large number of applicants this year.
Potential applicants who love NYU can improve their odds in the admissions process by applying in the Early Decision round. As we’ve noted before, applying Early Decision significantly boosts applicants’ chances of admission, and NYU is no exception to this rule. The university admitted 27.8% of students who applied for the Class of 2023 in the Early Decision round, but only 13.8% of those who applied in the Regular Decision round. (NYU has not released precise Early Decision numbers for more recent years, but you can be sure that the “Early Decision advantage” still exists.)
Keep in mind that NYU offers two rounds of Early Decision: Early Decision I (due November 1) and Early Decision II (due January 1). While NYU does not release data on the number of students admitted per round, most colleges admit more students in EDI than in EDII.
Applying to NYU
If you’re planning to apply to NYU, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind:
Grades and Test Scores: As NYU has become increasingly selective, admitted students’ grades and test scores have risen along with it. NYU boasts that most incoming freshmen have an A average and rank in the top 10% of their high school class. The middle 50% also scored from 1350 – 1530 on the SAT and 31 – 35 on the ACT. (Even though NYU has gone test-optional, many strong students still submit test scores.) If you are interested in NYU, you’ll need excellent grades and scores to be competitive!
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High School Courses: NYU encourages students to follow a rigorous course schedule in high school. The university lists a number of recommended (read: expected) high school courses for applicants, including:
- English: 4 years
- History/Social Studies: 3-4 years
- Mathematics: 3-4 years
- Science: 3-4 years
- Foreign Language: 3-4 years
NYU also notes that “top applicants have taken demanding coursework in the above subjects for four years.” This means that—if you hope to apply to NYU—you won’t want to give up foreign language after two years or drop down to a lower-level history class. You’ll need to do great work in rigorous courses to get noticed in NYU’s applicant pool.
Individual schools’ application requirements: You can apply to NYU using the Common Application, but some schools within the university have their own admissions requirements. For example, applicants to Tisch must also participant in an artistic review, which can include an audition or a portfolio. Applicants must also submit auditions or portfolios for many majors within Steinhardt. Be sure you know what your preferred program within NYU requires when you’re putting together your application so that you don’t face any last-minute surprises!
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