Admissions Factors

What NYU Looks For

NYU rates 5 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay, recommendations and character and personal qualities.

How NYU rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Important

Standardized test scores

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

9.1%

10,340 of 114,125 applicants

Early decision admit rate

Not reported

Admitted from the waitlist

Not reported

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.81.

Email me what NYU looks for

A link to this page, plus the comparison table for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

What does NYU look for in applicants?

NYU rates 5 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay, recommendations and character and personal qualities.

Does NYU consider legacy status?

NYU rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does NYU track demonstrated interest?

NYU rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".

Source: NYU’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.