NYU Transfer Acceptance Rate and Requirements — 2025

January 12, 2025

Every year, NYU receives over 100,000 applications from high school students. However, last year, they only accepted 9% of freshman applicants and the median SAT of admitted freshmen was 1520. The good news is that the university admits thousands of transfer applicants every year. Even better, acceptance rates for transfers are roughly triple the rate for freshman applicants. The following blog will reveal the NYU transfer acceptance rate as well as other essential pieces of information like the NYU transfer application deadline, the NYU transfer requirements, the NYU transfer GPA, and much more.

NYU Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available NYU transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

In 2023, 10,573 transfer applicants applied and 3,930 were admitted. This means that the NYU transfer acceptance rate is 37%.

When trying to get the complete picture of how difficult it is to transfer into any given institution, it is important to look at historical data. Many schools have wild fluctuations in transfer acceptance rates from year to year. As you can see, NYU’s rates have indeed been somewhat variable.

Historical NYU transfer rates are as follows:

Year	NYU Transfer Acceptance Rate
2022	20.4%
2021	25.8%
2020	41%
2019	22%

NYU Transfer Application Deadline

NYU offers a fall, spring, and summer transfer admission cycle. The NYU transfer application deadline for fall applicants is March 15. The transfer deadline for spring applicants is October 15. The transfer deadline for summer applicants is March 15.

However, not all programs allow spring transfers. For example, the following programs within the Tisch School of the Arts only accept applications for a fall transfer:

Cinema Studies
Collaborative Arts
Dance
Drama
Dramatic Writing
Film and Television
Game Design
Interactive Media Arts
Performance Studies
Photography and Imaging
Recorded Music

In addition, the Abu Dhabi and Shanghai campuses do not accept transfer students.

NYU Transfer Acceptance Rate (Continued)

NYU Transfer Requirements

All students must submit the following items as part of their NYU transfer application:

A Common App for Transfer Students
Official college transcripts
Final high school transcripts (with graduation date)
Letter of recommendation
Portfolio or audition (for some majors).
NYU may ask for a midterm report, but it is not required for all applicants.

Students should also carefully research whether there are special requirements for the program they intend to apply to.

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to NYU have done the following:

Completed at least 32 credits (one year) of college coursework.
Earned exceptional grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
Completed lower-level coursework within their intended major.

Additionally, there is a Community College Transfer Opportunity Program (CCTOP) that helps community college students enter the university.

NYU Transfer GPA

This school does not reveal their average GPA for successful transfer students. However, in our experience working with NYU transfers, you will have the best chance with a 3.7 or better. This is not to say that your chances are nonexistent with a GPA below that mark, but a 3.7-4.0 GPA will undoubtedly put you on the firmest ground.

NYU Transfer Application Essays

New York University requires the following essay to be completed by all transfer applicants:

Please provide a statement that addresses your reason(s) for seeking transfer and the objectives you hope to achieve. How can NYU and the particular school, college, program, and/or area of study you are applying to support those goals? (2500 character maximum)

NYU Transfer Acceptance Rate (Continued)

When Do NYU Transfer Decisions Come Out?

Fall and summer transfer decisions come out between May and June. Spring applicants will receive a decision between November and January.

Final Thoughts – NYU Transfer Acceptance Rate

For a highly selective university, NYU continues to be relatively “transfer-friendly.” Unlike many other elite institutions, the transfer acceptance rate at this school is not in the single digits. Around 3-4% of the student body are transfers. Some colleges/schools within the university are more competitive than others. For example, the Stern School of Business only takes transfers in the fall semester and gives preference to current students seeking internal transfers. On the other end of the spectrum, The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development takes in hundreds of external transfers each year. In short, if you meet the NYU transfer requirements, you have a legitimate shot at achieving a positive outcome.

If you are looking for information on how to apply to NYU as a first-year student, you may find the following blogs to be of interest:

Looking for additional transfer resources? You may wish to check out the following:

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Transfer Admissions

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).