NYU SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 13, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
1480 to 1560
Half of enrolled students at NYU scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1560, and one quarter below 1480.
- Acceptance rate
- 9.2%
- ACT range
- 34 to 35
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- New York, NY
- Undergraduates
- 29,401
- School type
- Private nonprofit university
NYU SAT Scores and Admissions
NYU admitted about 9 percent of applicants and enrolled students whose SAT scores ran 1480 to 1560 in the middle 50 percent. NYU is a large private university woven into New York City, with roughly 29,000 undergraduates across schools that admit quite differently, from Stern business to Tisch arts to the College of Arts and Science. That structure matters more at NYU than at most schools: your competitiveness depends heavily on which program you apply to.
NYU was test optional and offers flexible testing options in the most recent federal data, so its enrolled scores reflect students who chose to submit. A 9 percent admit rate has made NYU dramatically more selective than its reputation from a decade ago. If NYU is on your list, the score band is a baseline, but the real question is how your application fits the specific school you are targeting. Our score plans can help you reach a score that supports your program of choice.
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NYU SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at NYU, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 720 | 760 |
| Math | 760 | 800 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 1480 | 1560 |
Where this sits on the 400 to 1600 scale
1480 to 1560
NYU Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into NYU, measured against real enrolled student data instead of a made up percentage.
No SAT score yet? Take the diagnostic and get a real number in about 25 minutes.
How this calculator works: your SAT is compared with NYU's reported middle 50 percent range from the federal College Scorecard, your GPA is compared with the range admitted students at similarly selective schools typically present, and both are weighed against the school's real acceptance rate. We do not print a made up percent chance. No calculator can see your essays, your course rigor, or your recommendations, and at selective schools those decide close calls. Treat this as an honest read of your academic position, not a prediction.
Chances of Getting Into NYU by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at NYU, based on its reported 1480 to 1560 middle 50 percent range. Find the row closest to your score, or use the calculator above for a read on your exact numbers. No made up percentages: each verdict is your real position in the enrolled class.
| SAT score | Where it lands | The honest read |
|---|---|---|
| 1330 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 1330 is well below the 1480 to 1560 range at NYU. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 1430 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 1430 falls just short of NYU's 25th percentile of 1480. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1520 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1520 sits inside the 1480 to 1560 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. At this acceptance rate the score keeps you in the pool; the rest of the application decides. |
| 1560 | At the 75th percentile | A 1560 matches the 75th percentile at NYU, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1590 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1590 beats the 75th percentile at NYU. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to NYU's Range
The two targets that matter here are 1480, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1560, the score that puts you in the top quarter. Here is the size of the jump from common starting points, with the step by step plan for each one.
| Starting score | To reach 1480 | To reach 1560 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | +480 points | +560 points | All score plans |
| 1100 | +380 points | +460 points | All score plans |
| 1200 | +280 points | +360 points | All score plans |
| 1300 | +180 points | +260 points | 1300 to 1600 plan |
| 1400 | +80 points | +160 points | 1400 to 1600 plan |
| 1500 | Already there | +60 points | 1500 to 1600 plan |
Not sure where you stand today? The diagnostic gives you a real starting score and a section breakdown in one sitting, so the gap you plan around is your actual gap.
What SAT Score Do You Need for NYU?
A score below NYU's 25th percentile of 1480 trails the enrolled band, and at a test optional school there is little reason to submit a number below the class. From 1480 to 1560 your score is competitive and worth including. Above 1560 you are past the 75th percentile, a clear strength at a 9 percent admit rate. But remember NYU's schools admit differently, so a score that is solid for the College of Arts and Science may sit closer to average for Stern.
Enrolled ACT scores ran 34 to 35. These figures describe enrolled students who chose to submit, so the true admitted range, especially among test optional applicants, extends lower. Read your score against both the 1480 to 1560 university band and the specific program you want, and aim higher within the range if you are targeting a competitive school like Stern.
NYU GPA Requirements
NYU's admitted students carry strong records, with the rigor that counts most tied to their intended school. A Stern applicant is read on quantitative strength, while a Tisch applicant is weighed heavily on portfolio or audition alongside academics. There is no universal GPA cutoff, but a strong transcript in demanding courses is the competitive baseline at a 9 percent admit rate.
In concrete terms, that usually means an unweighted GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range, with essentially no room for a slip. If your grades are strong and your SAT is the softer half, the score is the piece to move, and for a quantitative program the math section deserves extra focus. The diagnostic shows you where your score really stands, section by section, before you plan your prep.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at NYU typically present a GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Nearly every admitted student carries an almost unbroken A record in the hardest courses their high school offers.
If your GPA sits at or below this range, a strong SAT score is the fastest way to stay competitive, since grades are hard to move late in high school. See where your SAT score really stands and build the plan around the gap.
These are unweighted grades on a 4.0 scale. A school that weights GPA or reports a different scale will show a higher number.
NYU SAT Testing Policy
NYU considered scores without requiring them (test optional) in the most recent federal data. Testing policies change year to year, so confirm the current 2026-2027policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit scores.
Should you submit your score?
Submit your score when it is at or above 1520, the middle of NYU's range. If you are below 1480, the 25th percentile, consider holding your score and letting your grades, essays, and activities carry the application.
Last verified July 13, 2026
Should You Submit Your SAT Score to NYU?
NYU was test optional in the most recent federal data, which turns your score into a strategic choice. The folk theory that applying without scores signals weakness is overstated, but the math of what helps is simple: a score that lands inside or above the admitted range works for you, and a score well below it does not.
1520+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
1480 to 1520
Lean submit
Inside the range, most counselors say send it: you are within the profile of enrolled students, and holding it back leaves the reader guessing.
Below 1480
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at NYU. Apply without it, or better, close the gap first. Scores can still matter for merit scholarships elsewhere on your list.
Policy as reported for the 2024-2025 cycle. We verified it against NYU's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
NYU ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at NYU scored between 34 and 35 on the ACT, alongside the 1480 to 1560 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, NYU states no preference between the two tests. The right move is to take whichever test converts higher for you, using the official concordance below, and send that one.
| ACT composite | SAT equivalent |
|---|---|
| 35 | 1530 to 1560 |
| 34 | 1490 to 1520 |
| 33 | 1450 to 1480 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside NYU's ACT middle 50 percent.
How NYU Reviews SAT Scores
NYU reads applications with a strong eye toward fit for the specific school and program, and at a 9 percent admit rate the SAT is one factor among many. Program specific rigor, essays that show why NYU and why New York, recommendations, and any required creative materials all carry weight. A strong score is a baseline, not a differentiator.
The efficient approach is to reach a competitive SAT for your target program, decide whether to submit it, and invest the rest of your energy in demonstrating genuine fit for the NYU school you want. Applicants who show a specific, well supported reason for their program stand out more than those relying on a marginal point of total score.
How to Get Into NYU
Aim for 1560 if you plan to submit to NYU, so your score clears the enrolled 75th percentile and reads as an asset, especially for a selective program. If you are in the low to mid 1400s, the gap is closeable by fixing your weaker section. Our 1450 to 1550 score plan targets this band, and for a quantitative program you should give the math section extra weight. The diagnostic gives you a real score and a section breakdown in one sitting. Point your prep at the section costing you the most points. If your realistic best lands below 1480, NYU's test optional and flexible testing policies give you room to apply without a traditional SAT score and lead with your transcript, essays, and any portfolio or audition your program requires.
How Hard Is It to Get Into NYU?
NYU admits about 92 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 29,401. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 908 of every 1,000 people who apply, the students who get in cluster at the top of every measurable scale.
For perspective against the country as a whole: NYU's 25th percentile score of 1480 already beats roughly 97% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1560 sits around the 99th percentile. A score that feels middling on this page is an excellent score almost anywhere else, which is worth remembering when you build the rest of your list.
Colleges Similar to NYU: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside NYU, ordered by acceptance rate. Odds are compared on acceptance rate first, because a school with a lower SAT average can still be far harder to get into.
| School | SAT middle 50 percent | Acceptance rate | Odds vs NYU |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYU | 1480 to 1560 | 9.2% | This page |
| Yale | 1470 to 1570 | 3.9% | Harder to get into than NYUsimilar SAT range |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | 1510 to 1580 | 4.0% | Harder to get into than NYUSAT about 25 higher |
| Cornell | 1500 to 1570 | 8.8% | Similar oddsSAT about 15 higher |
| Notre Dame | 1455 to 1560 | 11.3% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Binghamton | 1340 to 1500 | 38.6% | Better odds than NYUSAT about 100 lower |
| Stony Brook | 1330 to 1500 | 49.0% | Better odds than NYUSAT about 105 lower |
How Recent Are These NYU SAT Scores?
Every score, rate, and enrollment figure on this page comes from the US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2024-2025 release, the same federal dataset colleges report into. Testing policy reflects the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. This page was last reviewed July 13, 2026.
Score ranges quoted around the web for NYU disagree with each other more than you would expect, usually because a site is quoting an older class or an unlabeled estimate. We publish the reported number, label the vintage, and update when the source updates. We also cross checked NYU's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
NYU SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into NYU?
NYU's middle 50 percent SAT range is 1480 to 1560. Aim for at least 1480 to be competitive, and 1560 or higher to be a strong applicant. There is no hard cutoff, but a score in or above this range keeps your application in contention.
Is a 1480 a good SAT score for NYU?
A 1480 sits at NYU's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 1480 to 1560. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1560 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at NYU?
NYU does not report a single composite average in the federal data, so the middle 50 percent range is the most precise figure available: enrolled students scored between 1480 and 1560.
Does NYU require SAT scores?
No. NYU was test optional in the most recent federal data, so you can apply without SAT scores. Confirm the current 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit.
Is NYU test optional for 2026-2027?
NYU was test optional in the most recent federal data, meaning you could apply without scores. Policies change year to year, so verify the 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site.
What ACT score do you need for NYU?
NYU's middle 50 percent ACT range is 34 to 35. Aim for at least 34 to be competitive and 35 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at NYU.
What GPA do you need to get into NYU?
Admitted students at NYU typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range on the 4.0 scale, based on schools with a comparable acceptance rate. Grades earned in rigorous courses matter as much as the number itself, and a strong SAT score is the fastest way to offset a GPA at the lower edge of that range.
What is NYU's acceptance rate?
NYU admits about 9.2% of applicants, which makes it extremely selective. A strong SAT score helps your application stand out in a pool this competitive.
What are my chances of getting into NYU?
NYU admits about 9.2% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 1480 to 1560 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.9 to 4.0. A score above 1560 puts you in the strongest quarter of the class on testing. Use the admissions calculator on this page to check your own SAT and GPA against NYU's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for NYU?
Focus your prep on the section costing you the most points, then follow a study plan built for your target score range. Cheetah Prep has step by step score plans for specific point jumps and unlimited practice questions with worked solutions.
Does NYU superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and NYU does not report this in the federal data. Check the school's admissions site for its current superscore policy, which tells you whether it combines your best section scores across test dates.
About this page: written and reviewed by the Cheetah Prep team. Last reviewed July 13, 2026.
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