As of October 2026. Every number below is sourced; the list is at the end.
As of October 2026, NYU does not require a score. It is test-optional. Among the first-years who enrolled and did send one, the middle half scored 1480 to 1570 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT (IPEDS, 2023). If you want a score to help the application, that is the band to aim at.
What NYU's own page says
NYU says it plainly: "NYU will continue to remain test-optional through the 2027-2028 application cycle." The same page calls that "one of the most flexible testing policies of any college or university."
A student who chooses to submit may send an SAT, an ACT, AP exams, an IB Diploma, A-Levels, or other international exams. Only one form of testing counts. The student picks which one on the Common App.
So no score is required at NYU. The call is yours, and you make it one college at a time.
Read the band correctly
Be careful with 1480 to 1570. That band describes enrolled first-years who submitted an SAT. It is not a cutoff, and it is not the profile of everyone admitted. Only 27% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT, and 12% submitted an ACT (IPEDS, 2023). Most of the class is not in that band at all.
Now the rest of the picture. NYU admitted 9.4% of 113,578 applicants (IPEDS, 2023). First-years who enrolled averaged a 3.81 GPA on a 4.0 scale (NYU Common Data Set 2024-25, as published on NYU's Reach page). A year runs about $37,050 with aid and $84,374 at full price.
Look at that GPA again. Grades are already stacked against the ceiling. A score is one of the few lines with room left on it.
How to decide whether to send
Have your student sit one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT. Then hold the result next to NYU's band.
| Where the score lands | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1480 SAT or higher, or 33 ACT or higher | Send it |
| Below that | Prepare, sit the real test, then judge the new score |
| Still below after a real attempt | Hold it. Grades, course rigor and essays carry the file |
Make the call college by college. NYU reads a score when it gets one, so the same number can be right to send here and wrong to send somewhere else.
What the prep looks like
Plan 6 to 12 weeks before the first official test date, and prepare for the whole SAT or ACT every sitting, never one section.
Here is what our own students average, from our published results. Students who start at 1350 or below gain 190 SAT points (1210 to 1400). Students above 1350 gain 120 (1400 to 1520). Among the students who start at 1350 or below, 63% gain 200 points or more. On the ACT, students starting 27 or below gain 5.7 points (22 to 28). Published research puts a typical retest-with-prep gain near 30 SAT points (Briggs, 2009).
An average is not a promise, and your student may land above it or below it. But moving a 1400 toward NYU's band in one season is ordinary work.
NYU's bands, policy and cost all sit on its Reach page.
The move
This month, have your student sit one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT before choosing an exam. The better fit is usually obvious once both are on paper. Both mocks are free: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. Then block 6 to 12 weeks on the calendar and work the whole test. Or call 949.229.5359 and we will map the testing year with you.
Questions parents ask
Does my child have to take the SAT or ACT for NYU?
No. As of October 2026 NYU does not require a score, and its own page says NYU will continue to remain test-optional through the 2027-2028 application cycle.
What SAT score is high enough for NYU?
Among the first-years who enrolled and did send one, the middle half scored 1480 to 1570 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT (IPEDS, 2023). It is a band to aim at, not a cutoff, and it describes enrolled submitters rather than everyone admitted.
My son is below the band. Should he send his score anyway?
Prepare, sit the real test, and judge the new score. If it is still below after a real attempt, hold it and let grades, course rigor and essays carry the file.
Written by Nick Standlea, founder of Test Prep Gurus. Updated October 2026.