Founded in 1831, New York University ranks 58th in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Unlike most peer institutions, NYU operates a true ‘Global Network University’ model with full degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai alongside its main New York campus, plus study-away sites across a dozen other cities.

NYU uses the Common Application, evaluating applicants holistically with particular attention to portfolio submissions for Tisch School of the Arts applicants. Students may apply directly to NYU Abu Dhabi or Shanghai as an alternative to the New York campus.

NYU’s admission is highly selective and holistic, with Tisch School of the Arts applicants required to submit portfolios or audition material in addition to standard academic review. NYU is need-aware for international students, meaning financial need can factor into admission decisions.

NYU offers the Wagner Scholarship and several other merit-based awards for outstanding international undergraduate applicants, though funding is more limited than at need-blind Ivy League peers given NYU’s need-aware international admission policy.

NYU’s main campus is woven directly into Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighbourhood, with no traditional campus walls or gates, giving students an urban, city-integrated university experience unlike most other major U.S. research universities.