NYU: What the Numbers Actually Say
NYU runs the second-largest applicant pool in America and reads it unlike anyone else: it is nearly alone among major universities in rating how much you actually want to attend as very important. It is also, by the federal numbers, one of the most expensive schools in the country after aid — a fact the brochures do not lead with, and the one families most need in front of them.
NYU admitted 9.1% of 114,125 applicants. The average net price after aid is $37,050 — higher than nine in ten American colleges — and the median graduate earns $82,509 ten years after enrolling while leaving with $20,500 of median debt.
At a glance
| New York University | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | NY, NY | |
| Undergraduates | 30,475 | |
| Acceptance rate | 9.1% | |
| Applicants / admits | 114,125 / 10,340 | |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1480–1560 | |
| Middle 50% ACT | 34–35 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 12:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $37,050 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $82,509 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,500 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Admissions: wanting NYU counts at NYU
NYU drew 114,125 applications — second nationally only to UCLA — and admitted 10,340, or 9.1%. Its early round is binding Early Decision.
| Application factor | New York University says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Very important | 27% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | only 18% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Very important | only 6% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Very important | 26% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Very important | only 14% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Important | 47% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Considered | 40% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Considered | 65% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Considered | 34% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Considered | 41% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Not considered | 57% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 362 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
The bold row at the top is nearly unique: NYU rates demonstrated interest very important, a weight declared by only 6% of schools — and by essentially none of NYU’s size. Combined with binding Early Decision, the message from its own filing is unambiguous: NYU strongly favours applicants who commit. An ED application here is worth more than at almost any peer, and a lukewarm regular-round application is worth less.
The admitted middle 50% runs 730–770 on SAT reading and 750–790 on maths. Just 27% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score — the lowest share among the schools profiled here; the ranges describe a quarter of the class, not a requirement.
Cost: among the highest net prices in the country
The average net price after aid is $37,050 — higher than 93.4% of American colleges. NYU reports meeting 99.8% of demonstrated need, with an average first-year grant of $60,191; the difference from its peers is that the price it discounts from is very high and the aid runs out sooner.
| Family income | New York University | US median |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $16,977 / year | $15,238 |
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $14,017 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $16,862 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $32,766 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $66,876 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
Read the middle rows twice: a family earning $75,000–$110,000 averages $32,766 a year — roughly triple what the elite privates on this site charge that same family. 29% of students borrow, and the median graduate leaves owing $20,500.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
Median earnings of $82,509 sit in the top tenth of American colleges, and students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $76,100 a decade after they started. 96.1% of first-years return. The campus is the city: 82% of first-years live in university housing, the lowest share among the schools profiled here, and Greek life is marginal.
Frequently asked questions
What is NYU’s acceptance rate?
9.1%. NYU received 114,125 applications — the second-largest pool of any US university — and admitted 10,340 students.
How much does NYU actually cost?
One of the highest in the country: an average $37,050 a year after aid. A family earning $75,000–$110,000 averages $32,766, and above $110,000 the average is $66,876. The median graduate leaves owing $20,500.
Does demonstrated interest matter at NYU?
More than almost anywhere in America. NYU rates an applicant’s level of interest very important — a weight only 6% of schools declare — and runs binding Early Decision. Visible commitment is a real currency here.
Should I apply Early Decision to NYU?
If NYU is genuinely your first choice and the net price calculator works for your family, its own filing suggests ED is worth more here than at most peers — interest is very important and ED is its committed form. Run the cost numbers first: ED binds you before comparing aid offers.
What SAT scores do you need for NYU?
The admitted middle 50% scored 730–770 on reading and 750–790 on maths — but only 27% of enrolled first-years submitted a score at all, the lowest share among the schools profiled here.
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