A global private research university in NYC founded in 1831, now one of America's largest with 61,890 students.
NYU's New York City campus is organized into undergraduate schools in arts and science, individualized study, education, business, engineering, and the arts. Graduate schools cover medicine, law, public service, professional studies, social work, and nursing. The university houses specialized centers including the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Center for Data Science, Center for Neural Science, Clive Davis Institute, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, Institute of Fine Arts, and NYU Langone Health System. Students can access over 4,000 courses across hundreds of degree and non-degree programs.
NYU operates as a truly global university with three degree-granting portal campuses: New York City (flagship), Abu Dhabi (opened 2010), and Shanghai. Additionally, the university maintains 13 global academic centers in Accra, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Tulsa, and Washington, D.C. This network allows students to study abroad and engage with international research opportunities.
The Washington Square campus in Greenwich Village serves as the cultural and intellectual heart of NYU, with the Washington Square Arch as an unofficial symbol. The university operates over 171 buildings across Manhattan and Brooklyn, including the Silver Center for Arts and Science and the Bobst Library. Student life is enriched by numerous organizations, Greek life, a cappella groups, debate and mock trial teams, and NCAA Division III athletics (Violets mascot, competing in the UAA).
NYU is one of the most applied-to schools in the country with highly selective admissions. The acceptance rate has dropped to a record 7.7% for the Class of 2029 (2025 cycle), down from 8% in 2023-2024. Applications have surged 114% from 2007 to 2025, growing from approximately 35,000 to over 120,000 annually. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree pathways across its three portal campuses.
NYU has an endowment of $7.28 billion (2025) and a total budget of $18.8 billion including Langone Health. The university successfully completed a seven-year $2.5 billion campaign (2001-2008), surpassing expectations by raising over $3 billion. In August 2018, the NYU Grossman School of Medicine announced full-tuition scholarships for all MD students regardless of need or merit, becoming the only top-10 medical school in the US to do so.