How to Get Into NYU Stern: Admissions Figures, Programs and Deadlines for Fall 2027

What is the NYU Stern acceptance rate?

We found no Stern admit count. Because some admitted students enroll elsewhere, schools generally admit more students than they have seats, so 630 available spots divided by 21,900 applications is not an admit rate, and we do not compute one. The most direct official statement is the NYU release for the Class of 2029, which said three of its undergraduate colleges, the College of Arts and Science, the Leonard N. Stern School of Business and the Rory Meyers College of Nursing, offered admission to fewer than 5% of applicants (NYU news). The 7.7% in that release and the 9.1% from the Common Data Set describe the same class with different applicant and admit counts (more than 120,000 applicants in the release; 114,125 first-year applicants and 10,340 admits in the CDS, against about 9,240 offers implied by 7.7% of 120,000, by our calculation), so we report both with their sources. Our NYU acceptance rate page tracks the university figures.

How does admission to NYU Stern work?

Stern admits first-year students directly. Stern tells applicants: “You will select one of NYU Stern’s three undergraduate programs on your application.” Admission to the Stern Undergraduate College is handled through the NYU Office of Undergraduate Admissions (Stern, how to apply). Applicants choose campuses and programs on the NYU-specific page of the Common Application (NYU first-year applicants). Applicants to the Business and Political Economy (BPE) and Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship (BTE) programs are also considered for the core BS in Business; Stern says this is “Due to limited space”. We found no NYU page describing a second-choice school outside Stern.

In our view, transferring in later is hard to plan on. NYU says “Admission for external transfer students to Stern is extremely competitive” and “Nearly all of our available space is given to applicants who are already students at NYU.” Up to 64 credits carry over, and applicants must be in their first or sophomore year (NYU transfer program requirements). Stern “considers transfer students for the fall semester only” and calls the process “highly selective” (Stern transfer applicants). The pages we read do not publish internal transfer rules, such as GPA, courses or timing, for NYU students in other schools. In our view, a student who wants Stern should apply to Stern as a first-year rather than plan to move in later. Our faculty-by-faculty guide to getting into NYU covers the other schools.

Which Stern program fits which student?

• BS in Business. Students “will choose from 13 business concentrations” (Stern undergraduate), and applicants can indicate interest in the First Year London opportunity (Stern, how to apply).
• BS in Business and Political Economy (BPE). A “four-year, STEM-eligible global degree” in which students spend the fall of sophomore year at NYU London and the spring of junior year at NYU Shanghai. “BPE combines business fundamentals and social impact with an in-depth study of political economy.” (Stern BPE)
• Anand Khubani BS in Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship (BTE). “The program leverages NYU’s excellence in data analytics, computer science, and technology through strategic partnerships with NYU Courant and NYU Tandon.” (Stern BTE)

Stern adds that “Current BS in Business students can also choose to apply to one of our dual-degree programs”: the BS in Business/MS in Accounting and the five-year BS in Business/BFA in Film and Television with Tisch (Stern Undergraduate College). In our experience, the program choice should follow the record the student already has: sustained interest in policy, languages or global issues points toward BPE, and coding, product or startup work points toward BTE. Our Business and Political Economy (BPE) program guide goes further on BPE.

What test scores and grades do enrolled NYU first-years have?

NYU says it “will continue to remain test-optional through the 2027-2028 application cycle,” so students applying now for fall 2027 choose whether to send scores (NYU standardized tests). We found no Stern score or GPA profile. University-wide, the NYU Common Data Set 2025-26 reports for first-years who enrolled in fall 2025 that 27% submitted the SAT and 10% the ACT, with SAT composite scores of 1480 at the 25th percentile, 1520 at the median and 1550 at the 75th, ACT composites of 34 at the 25th percentile and 35 at the median and 75th, and an average high school GPA of 3.81 (NYU CDS 2025-26).

NYU does set one Stern rule for applicants who use the three-AP-exam testing option: “For Stern and Tandon, one of the exams must be in Math (Precalculus, AP Calculus AB, BC or Statistics).” IB students applying to Stern are told to take Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (HL or SL) or Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL (NYU standardized tests). In our view, an applicant to Stern who applies without scores should show quantitative strength through coursework, with calculus where the school offers it, because the transcript then carries most of the evidence of readiness for a business curriculum.

What are the fall 2027 deadlines, and how does Early Decision work at NYU?

“Early decision offers are binding,” NYU says, with an exception when the financial aid package does not meet enough of the family need (NYU Early Decision). For the Class of 2029, “NYU set a new record for the largest early decision applicant pool in history, with more than 25,000 applications”, a 10% increase over the year before (NYU news). We found no recent NYU Early Decision admit counts, and its CDS leaves those lines blank. In our view, Early Decision II matters for Stern: a student deferred or denied in another school’s early round in December can still make a binding Stern application by January 1. In our experience, Early Decision suits a student for whom Stern is the clear first choice and whose family has run the NYU net price calculator.

Does Stern ask for its own essay?

We could not find a Stern-specific essay or supplement for 2026-27. The NYU first-year page lists no essays or supplemental questions, and the Stern admissions pages name none (NYU first-year applicants; Stern, how to apply). Applicants choose a Stern program on the NYU-specific page of the Common Application, so check that page for any program questions before submitting. In our experience, a Stern applicant should make the business interest visible in the Common App personal essay and activities list, with specific evidence such as a venture, a job or a research project, rather than relying on a separate business essay.

Where do Stern graduates work?

Stern reports average total compensation, while some other schools report median base salary, so the figures are not directly comparable across schools. In our view, these outcomes describe where one class went, shaped by the students Stern admits and its New York location, and they do not predict what a given student will earn.

What does Stern cost, and what aid does NYU offer?

For 2026-27, most of the New York school tables on the NYU cost page show tuition and fees of $68,576 and a total cost of attendance of $100,998, with food and housing of $26,438; others show totals of $102,886 and $107,748. The tables we read were not labeled by school, so confirm the Stern figure on the NYU page, which also notes the amounts were “not officially approved until July 2026” (NYU cost of attendance).

On aid, “NYU will meet 100% demonstrated financial need” for first-time first-year students on the New York campus, and “Families with income less than $100,000 and typical assets will not have to pay tuition” (NYU aid for first-year applicants). The NYU aid pages we read describe need-based scholarships and do not describe an undergraduate merit program (NYU undergraduate aid), so ask NYU directly about merit awards.

How does Stern compare with Wharton, Ross and Dyson?

Stern, Wharton, Cornell Dyson and Michigan Ross all admit business students as first-years; Ross also offers Preferred Admission through three other U-M schools. Our Wharton, Stern, Dyson and Ross comparison sets out the differences, and our Wharton guide covers Penn. The view of Oriel Admissions is that Stern suits students who want business study in Manhattan, with global study through BPE or technology through BTE, and whose families have weighed the NYU aid estimate. For the wider field, see our guides to applying to undergraduate business schools and the best colleges for business.

Frequently Asked Questions About NYU Stern Admissions

Sources: NYU Stern, By The Numbers, NYU Stern, Undergraduate College, NYU Admissions, Standardized Tests, NYU Stern, How to Apply, NYU Stern, Transfer Applicants, NYU Stern, BS in Business and Political Economy, NYU Stern, BS in Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship, NYU Stern Undergraduate Class of 2025 Outcomes Report, NYU Admissions, First-Year Applicants, NYU Admissions, Early Decision, NYU Admissions, Transfer Program Requirements, NYU News, Offers of Admission to the Class of 2029, March 2025, NYU Common Data Set 2025-2026, NYU, Cost of Attendance, NYU Financial Aid, First-Year Applicants, NYU Financial Aid, Applying and Planning for Undergraduate Aid. All read October 26 and 27, 2026.

About Oriel Admissions

Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning academic planning, extracurricular strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.