NYU today announced that it had another record year for freshman applications: a total of 43,728 men and women applied for spots in NYU’s class of 2016 at both its New York and Abu Dhabi campuses, exceeding last year’s record for total applications of 42,242. NYU has now received a record-number of applications for five consecutive years.

NYU Receives Record Number of Freshman Applications For 5th Year in a Row

Nearly 44,000 Total Applications; Direct Applicants to Abu Dhabi Campus More than Double

NYU today announced that it had another record year for freshman applications: a total of 43,728 men and women applied for spots in NYU’s class of 2016 at both its New York and Abu Dhabi campuses, exceeding last year’s record for total applications of 42,242. Applications for freshman admission to NYU have more than quadrupled over the past two decades, and NYU has received a record-number of applications for five consecutive years.

NYU’s global network – with two portal campuses (New York and Abu Dhabi) already operating, a third (Shanghai) under construction, 11 global academic centers, and unparalleled opportunities for study around the world – continues to exert growing influence on NYU’s admissions, with more than 1,000 additional applications this year coming from students attending secondary schools outside of the United States.

For the first time this year, applicants to NYU’s Washington Square campus and NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus had the option of selecting one as their “primary” choice and the other as their “alternate” choice on their application.

In total, 42,776 potential members of NYU’s class of 2016 applied for approximately 4,700 seats in NYU’s freshman class in New York. Of that number, 41,274 selected NYU’s New York campus as the primary choice, and 1,502 applied as an alternate choice.

In total, there were 15,489 applicants to NYU Abu Dhabi for the approximately 150 places in the NYU Abu Dhabi class of 2016. Of that number, 2,454 applicants asked to be considered for the Abu Dhabi campus as their primary choice – more than double the number from the prior year (1,222) – and 13,035 young men and women applied to the campus as their alternate choice.

A total of 6,485 students applied through NYU's Early Decision Program, which offers two rounds of admission to students who indicate that NYU is their first choice, an increase of 6.3% from last year. Of the 5,691 Early Decision applicants who indicated that NYU's campus in New York is their primary choice, 1,625 also asked to be considered for NYU's campus in Abu Dhabi. Of the 794 Early Decision applicants who indicated that NYU’s campus in Abu Dhabi is their primary choice, 345 also asked to be considered for NYU’s campus in New York.

Press Contact

John Beckman
John Beckman
(212) 998-6848