Major Categories of Expense

Salaries and employee benefits are the University's most significant expense, accounting for 59% of the total expense budget. NYU employs approximately 8,600 full-time and part-time faculty and researchers and about 6,300 full-time and part-time administrative and union employees at its New York campus alone.

Building-related costs are the second largest expense, accounting for 13% of the expense budget, with 6% for cleaning and building maintenance contracts, 4% for leased space, 1% for energy, and 2% for all other expenses. General operating expenses and professional services and fees account for 11% and 5% of the budget, respectively. Debt service accounts for 7% of the expense budget.

The budget includes a reserve for academic investments and a general contingency of 1%. Transfers to non-operating funds, primarily the capital fund for capital replacement and information technology projects, account for 4% of the budget.