New York University

NYU Visit

Date: November 7, 2025
Location: New York, NY

Approx. Undergraduates: ~29,000
Type: Private Research University

1. First Impressions & Vibe

NYU is woven into Greenwich Village, where academic buildings, residence halls, and cafés surround Washington Square Park. Instead of a walled campus, NYU blends seamlessly into city streets, reflecting its guiding principle of being “in and of New York.”

The atmosphere is fast-paced, international, and creative, with students from more than 135 countries and three degree-granting campuses: New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. Learners drawn to movement, ideas, and global engagement tend to feel at home in this vibrant, urban setting.

2. Student Perspective

Undergraduates describe NYU as academically intense, professionally oriented, and interdisciplinary. Many classes are small, about 58% enroll fewer than 20 students, and faculty are generally accessible, even though graduate students may lead some discussion sections or workshops.

Students appreciate the ability to pursue interests across arts, media, business, engineering, and the social sciences, and many highlight the freedom to combine fields such as psychology and film or technology and entrepreneurship.

The university’s globally connected environment allows undergraduates to study away while staying on track in their majors, with NYU faculty teaching at many sites abroad.

3. Uniquely Interesting

NYU stands out for its three degree-granting campuses and a global network of academic centers stretching from Buenos Aires to Prague to Tel Aviv. More than half of all undergraduates study abroad, and some students even begin their NYU experience overseas.

The Core Curriculum includes writing, language, scientific inquiry, and cultural foundations, ensuring broad academic exposure. Tisch is renowned for film, drama, dance, and television, with undergraduates frequently earning national recognition and sometimes performing professionally before graduation.

Stern offers distinctive programs like Business and Political Economy and Business, Technology & Entrepreneurship, and is regarded as one of the strongest undergraduate business programs in the country.

The Tandon School of Engineering, the College of Nursing, and Gallatin’s individualized study program add further breadth, allowing students to pursue both structured and highly customized paths.

4. Spaces You’d Love

Washington Square Park serves as the social center of campus life, surrounded by academic buildings, residence halls, dining spots, and performance spaces.

Housing is guaranteed for four years for incoming first-year students, with free shuttles connecting the various residential areas throughout the city. NYU’s facilities extend across Manhattan and into Brooklyn at Tandon, integrating learning with the city’s cultural, artistic, and technological resources.

Whether attending lectures by global leaders, exploring galleries, or rehearsing in Tisch studios, undergraduates experience the city as an extension of campus. Commencement at Yankee Stadium underscores NYU’s scale and its connection to New York’s iconic institutions.

5. Who Might Thrive Here

NYU is ideal for bold, curious, and independent learners who want to shape their own path. It attracts those who embrace the energy of city life, seek global experiences, and are eager to turn ideas into action.

Risk-takers, innovators, performers, and problem-solvers tend to thrive, especially individuals who are motivated by real-world learning, cross-disciplinary exploration, and opportunities that stretch far beyond the classroom.

Undergraduates who excel at managing their time, navigating independence, and taking initiative could find NYU’s open environment exhilarating.

Additional NYU Highlights

• NYU is the largest private university in the United States.

• Undergraduates enroll from 135+ countries; NYU is the most internationally represented U.S. university.

• 230+ majors and programs across 10 undergraduate schools and colleges.

• Applicants apply directly to a specific school and major.

• You cannot start in the College of Arts & Science (CAS) and add a major from another NYU school; but, students can add a CAS major while enrolled in another school (e.g., Tandon or Steinhardt).

• Gallatin allows learners to design individualized programs with faculty advisors.

• NYU is a data-driven, academically focused admissions process.

• About 50% of admitted students submit test scores, though testing is optional in 2025.

• Artistic majors typically require auditions or portfolios, and applicants should submit the Common App 3–4 weeks ahead of deadlines to allow for scheduling.

• NYU offers free tuition to students from families with $100,000 or less in total income.

• 29% of undergraduates borrow; average indebtedness is $26,061, in 2025.

• NYU awards need-based aid and limited merit scholarships (average ~$28,500).

• No athletic scholarships; sports are Division III.

• Undergraduate campuses in Abu Dhabi (~2,000 students) and Shanghai (~1,800 students) each host highly international student bodies.

• Frequent recruitment fairs, guest lectures, and industry networking events across Manhattan.

• Residence assignments occur by lottery each spring.

• NYU is large and decentralized; each school operates with substantial autonomy.