Does New York University Require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Scores and Odds

As of October 2026: No. New York University is test-optional for the upcoming application term, and its own page says "Standardized testing is optional for the upcoming application term." Among enrolled first-years who did submit, the middle SAT band ran 1480 to 1570 and the ACT band ran 33 to 35, with 27 percent sending an SAT and 12 percent sending an ACT.

NYU does not require a test score in 2026. Here is what the submitted scores look like, who sends them, and what the degree costs and pays.

By Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus. Figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

NYU asks for no test score at all The policy row on NYU's own admissions page is plain: testing is optional for the upcoming application term, which is the current cycle for fall 2027 entry. There is no required SAT, no required ACT, and no extra form to fill out if your child skips the test. We treat that as a real choice, not a trick. A strong score still helps, but a missing score does not end the file.

Most admitted students did not send a score Only 27 percent of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT and only 12 percent submitted an ACT. That leaves a large share of the class admitted on grades, course rigor, and writing. Parents often read the published score bands and assume everyone sent one. At NYU, the bands describe a minority of the class, and that changes how you should read them.

Nine in a hundred get in, and the degree still pays NYU admitted 10,676 students out of 113,578 applicants, an admit rate of 9.4 percent. The federal files put net price with aid at $37,050 and median earnings ten years out at $82,509. Over the span the data covers, that is $825,090 in pay against $148,200 in cost, a net gain of $676,890. The odds are long, but the math on the back end is steady.

NYU test policy in one row

This row comes from NYU's own admissions page. The quote is the college's wording, not ours.

College	Policy	Applies to	Changed	College's words	Source
New York University	optional	the upcoming application term (current cycle, fall 2027 entry)	--	Standardized testing is optional for the upcoming application term.	Source

A blank 'changed' field means the pack does not report a change date. Read it as not reported.

Scores, odds, cost, and payoff at NYU

Every measure below is copied from the pack. Score bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in the fall 2023 class, the latest federal file.

Measure	Value
applicants	113578
sat_25	1480
sat_75	1570
act_25	33
act_75	35
sat_submit_pct	27
act_submit_pct	12
test_policy_2026	Test-optional
admits	10676
admit_rate	9.4
application_fee	80
net_price_with_aid	37050
full_price	84374
npc_url	https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/financial-aid-and-scholarships/applying-and-planning-for-undergraduate-aid/net-price-calculator.html
earnings_10yr	82509
ten_years_pay	825090
four_years_cost	148200
net_gain	676890
four_year_grad_pct	87.6
median_debt_completers	20500

Repeated applicant rows in the source file were kept once here. Values are unchanged.

Early decision versus the overall pool

This row comes from NYU's Common Data Set. The early decision counts are blank in the college's own file.

Cycle	ED applicants	ED admits	ED rate	Total applicants	Total admits	Overall rate	Source
fall 2025 entrants (document header reads 'Common Data Set 2024-2025' but C1 is explicitly collected 'as of ... October 15, 2025' and C21 states 'For the Fall 2025 entering class' -- stale header, same quirk seen at Chicago; NYU's CDS leaves the C21 early-decision applicant/admit counts blank even though it reports ED closing/notification dates, so ed_applicants/ed_admits/ed_rate cannot be filled -- see gaps)	--	--	--	114,125	10,340	9.1%	Source

Null early decision values are not reported by the college. We do not estimate them.

Does New York University require the SAT or ACT in 2026?

No. NYU's policy row reads "optional," and the college's own line is "Standardized testing is optional for the upcoming application term." That term is the current cycle, for fall 2027 entry.

This matters because the word optional gets used loosely. Some colleges call themselves optional but then ask for a test in a few majors, or for homeschooled students, or for merit aid. The pack holds one policy row for NYU, and it says optional with no carve-out listed. The "changed" field is blank, so the pack does not report a date when the policy shifted. We read that as not reported rather than as proof of anything.

For your family, the practical meaning is simple. Your child can file a complete NYU application with no SAT score and no ACT score, and readers will judge the file on what is there. Grades across four years, the hardest courses the school offers, the essays, and the recommendations carry the weight.

The second practical meaning is that optional is a choice, and choices can be made well or poorly. A score that sits in or above NYU's submitted band adds a clear, fast signal to the file. A score far under the band adds a drag. The rest of this page gives you the numbers you need to make that call without guessing.

One last note on timing. Policies are set by term. The row here describes the upcoming application term. A family applying two cycles from now should check the same NYU page again before deciding.

What SAT score do admitted NYU students have?

Among enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, the middle band ran from 1480 at the low end to 1570 at the high end. That is the figure in the scores table, drawn from the fall 2023 class, which is the latest federal file.

Read that band carefully. It does not say 1480 is the floor for admission. It says a quarter of the students who enrolled and submitted an SAT scored at or below 1480. Another quarter scored 1570 or higher. Half sat in between. Students who sent no score at all are not in the band at all.

A second point gets missed. These are enrolled students, not admitted students. Admitted students who chose a different college are out of the count. In practice the two groups look close at a school like NYU, but the band is built from the class that showed up.

What does this mean for a decision? A score inside the band sends a helpful signal. A score at or above 1570 is a clear plus. A score well under 1480 sits below the band, and the file usually reads better without it.

We also tell families not to chase a band in a panic. A six to twelve week prep plan, started early, moves scores more than a frantic rush before a deadline. Prepare for the whole test at every sitting, not one section at a time.

What ACT score do NYU students have?

The ACT band at NYU runs 33 at the low end and 35 at the high end. Those are the two numbers in the scores table for enrolled first-years who submitted an ACT.

That is a tight window. Only a few points separate the bottom of the band from the top, because the ACT scale is compressed at the top. One or two extra right answers can move a composite a full point in that range. So small gains in practice can matter more than they feel like they should.

Compare the two bands side by side before your child picks a test. The SAT band is 1480 to 1570 and the ACT band is 33 to 35. Neither test is easier at NYU. The right test is the one where your child's practice results land higher inside the band.

Share of submitters tells you something too. In the scores table, 27 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 12 percent sent an ACT. The SAT is the more common submission at NYU by a wide margin, but that reflects regional habits more than any preference by the readers.

If your child has taken both a mock SAT and a mock ACT, use the results. If not, a free mock of each is the cleanest way to see which test fits before months of prep go into the wrong one.

How many NYU students actually send a test score?

A minority do. The scores table shows 27 percent of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT and 12 percent submitted an ACT. Everyone else in the class got in without one of those scores in the file.

This is the single most useful number on the page for a nervous parent. The score bands look fierce, and they are. But they describe a slice of the class. The larger share of students were read on transcript, rigor, and writing, and they were admitted all the same.

It also means a missing score is not a red flag at NYU. Readers see files without scores every day. There is no penalty box. The file simply has to carry its weight somewhere else, and the transcript is where that happens.

Here is the flip side. Because fewer students submit, the scores that do get sent tend to be strong ones. That is why the published band sits so high. A test-optional policy does not lower the band; it usually raises it, because only confident scorers submit.

So the question for your family is not whether scores matter. It is whether your child's score adds to this particular file. The next section gives a plain rule for deciding.

Should my child submit a score to NYU?

Submit if the score sits at or above 1480 on the SAT or 33 on the ACT, which are the low-end numbers in the scores table. Below those marks, the file usually reads stronger without the score.

That rule is simple on purpose. A score inside the band confirms what the transcript already says. A score under the band invites a reader to ask a question the rest of the file then has to answer. At a college that admitted 10,676 out of 113,578 applicants, you do not want to hand a reader a question.

There is a middle zone. A score a little under 1480, paired with a transcript full of the hardest classes offered and strong grades, is a judgment call. We lean toward holding it back at a school this selective, because the band is high and the submit share is low.

Think about the whole set of colleges too. Your child may apply to places where the same score is a clear plus. One number can help at one college and drag at another. Score sending is per college, so the decision can be made school by school.

The other way to settle the question is to raise the score. Six to twelve weeks of real prep, with full-length practice tests, moves many students into the band. If the test date still allows it, that is the better path than agonizing over a borderline number.

How hard is it to get into NYU?

NYU admitted 10,676 students from 113,578 applicants, an admit rate of 9.4 percent. The Common Data Set row for fall 2025 entrants shows 114,125 total applicants and 10,340 total admits, an overall rate of 9.06 percent.

Those two sets of numbers come from different files and different years, which is why they do not match to the decimal. Both land in the same place: about nine seats for every hundred applicants. Treat NYU as a reach for nearly every student, including students with perfect transcripts.

The size of the applicant pool is the part parents underrate. More than a hundred thousand files arrive each year. Readers move fast. A file that makes its case quickly, with clear course rigor and a specific reason for NYU, does better than a file that buries the point.

A low admit rate also argues for a balanced list. We want a handful of reaches, several colleges where the student sits comfortably in the middle, and at least two where admission is likely and the price is fine. NYU can be on the list; it should not be the plan.

One more read on the numbers. A 9.4 percent rate across the whole pool does not mean each student faces those odds. A student at the top of the band with strong grades faces better odds, and a student far outside the bands faces worse ones. The pool average hides a wide spread.

Does applying early decision to NYU improve the odds?

We cannot answer that with NYU's own numbers, because the college leaves the early decision counts blank. The Common Data Set reports an early decision closing date of 11/1 and a notification date of 12/15, but the applicant and admit counts in section C21 are empty.

That is a real gap, and we name it rather than fill it. Our early decision table shows null for ED applicants, ED admits, and ED rate. The only rates we can print for NYU are the overall ones: 9.06 percent in the Common Data Set row and 9.4 percent in the federal file.

There is a quirk in the document to flag. The header reads "Common Data Set 2024-2025," but the counts inside are collected as of October 15, 2025 and labeled for the fall 2025 entering class. We treat the row as fall 2025 entrants, which is what the college's own text says.

What should a family do without an ED rate? Decide on fit and money first. Early decision is binding. A student should only apply that way if NYU is the clear first choice and the family has run the net price calculator and can handle the result.

If the money is uncertain, the regular round keeps your options open. You can compare aid offers in the spring instead of committing in December.

What does NYU cost, and what does a family actually pay?

The full published price is $84,374 a year, and the average net price with aid is $37,050. Both figures sit in the scores and cost table, and the gap between them is the point.

Very few families pay the sticker figure. Net price is what remains after grants and scholarships are counted. It is an average across students who received aid, so your family's number can land well above or below it. Income, assets, and family size all move it.

The only way to get a number specific to your household is the college's net price calculator, which NYU posts at the link in the table. It takes a short sitting with a tax return in hand, and it is the single most useful hour a parent can spend in the fall.

The application fee is $80. That is small next to tuition, but it adds up across a long list. Fee waivers exist for families who qualify, and they apply at the point of submission.

Run the calculator before the application goes in, not after the decision arrives. A family that learns in April that the price does not work has lost a year of planning. A family that learns in October can shape the list around it.

Does an NYU degree pay off after graduation?

The federal file puts median earnings ten years after entry at $82,509. Against a net price with aid of $37,050, the pack shows $825,090 in ten-year pay, $148,200 in four-year cost, and a net gain of $676,890.

That comparison is rough by design. It sets a decade of median pay against four years of average net cost. It does not count the years of pay a student gives up while enrolled, and it does not count raises or career paths that start slow and climb later.

Still, the direction is clear. The cost figure is a fraction of the earnings figure, and that holds even if your family's net price lands above the average. Few spending decisions a family makes have a cushion that wide.

Median is the key word. Half of NYU graduates earn more than $82,509 ten years out and half earn less. Major, industry, and city drive most of that spread. A page of averages cannot tell you where one student will land.

Pair the earnings number with the debt number in the next section. Earnings alone do not tell you whether a family is comfortable. The balance between pay and what is owed does.

How much debt do NYU students carry, and do they finish?

Median debt for students who complete a degree at NYU is $20,500, and 87.6 percent finish in four years. Both numbers sit in the scores and cost table.

The debt figure is the median for completers, so half borrow more and half borrow less. Students who leave without a degree are not counted, which matters, because leaving with debt and no degree is the outcome families most want to avoid.

Set $20,500 against median earnings of $82,509 ten years out. The debt is a fraction of a single year of median pay at that point. That is a manageable ratio by most standards, and it is the reason we look at debt and earnings together rather than one alone.

The four-year graduation figure of 87.6 percent is the quieter number, and we think it is one of the most useful on this page. A student who finishes in four years pays for four years. A fifth year adds cost and delays earnings, and that is where budgets break.

Taken together, these three figures describe a school where most students finish on time, borrow a moderate amount, and earn a solid median afterward. That is a different picture from the one the $84,374 sticker price paints on its own.

When are NYU's deadlines, and what should we do this month?

NYU's Common Data Set lists an early decision closing date of 11/1 with notification on 12/15. That is the one date the pack holds, and it shapes the fall for any family considering the binding round.

If early decision is on the table, three things need to be done before that date. Run the net price calculator and look hard at the result. Decide whether NYU is truly the first choice. And settle the score question using the 1480 and 33 marks from the scores table.

If your family is heading for the regular round, the fall is for testing and the transcript. A score sitting below the band is a reason to prep, not a reason to despair, because 27 percent of enrolled students sent an SAT and 12 percent sent an ACT. Most of the class got in another way.

We suggest a plan of six to twelve weeks of prep, with full-length practice under real timing. Prepare for the whole test at every sitting. Students who drill one section and ignore the rest see their gains cancel out on test day.

The move: take a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, compare the two results, and build the plan from there. Call 949.229.5359 or start at prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step.

Questions parents ask

Does NYU require the SAT or ACT in 2026?
No. NYU's policy row reads "optional," and the college's own line is "Standardized testing is optional for the upcoming application term."

What SAT score does my child need for NYU?
Among enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, the middle band ran from 1480 at the low end to 1570 at the high end.

What ACT score does my child need for NYU?
The ACT band at NYU runs 33 at the low end and 35 at the high end.

Should my child submit a test score to NYU?
Submit if the score sits at or above 1480 on the SAT or 33 on the ACT, which are the low-end numbers in the scores table.

How many NYU students send a score?
The scores table shows 27 percent of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT and 12 percent submitted an ACT.

How hard is it to get into NYU?
NYU admitted 10,676 students from 113,578 applicants, an admit rate of 9.4 percent.

Does early decision help at NYU?
We cannot answer that with NYU's own numbers, because the college leaves the early decision counts blank.

What will our family actually pay at NYU?
The full published price is $84,374 a year, and the average net price with aid is $37,050.

Method and sources: The policy row and quote come from New York University's own undergraduate admissions page, read as of October 2026, and describe the upcoming application term. Score bands, submit shares, admit rate, prices, debt, graduation, and earnings come from IPEDS Admissions 2023 and the College Scorecard, surfaced through the Reach college profile; bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in the fall 2023 class, the latest federal file. The early decision row comes from NYU's Common Data Set, whose header reads 2024-2025 while its counts are collected as of October 15, 2025 for the fall 2025 entering class. NYU leaves the C21 early decision applicant and admit counts blank, so ED applicants, ED admits, and ED rate are not reported here and we do not estimate them. Transfer applicants, graduate programs, and school-by-school differences inside NYU are outside this page, and all rows are printed as the sources state them.