NYU's Stern School of Business is one of the most recognized undergraduate business programs in the United States, sitting directly in the heart of New York City's financial district ecosystem, a genuine advantage for a business degree that few other universities can match. NYU overall has become increasingly selective in recent years, admitting under 8% of applicants for its most recent first-year class, and Stern's undergraduate BS in Business is consistently one of NYU's most sought-after schools. This guide covers what NYU actually publishes on acceptance, cost, requirements, and English-test rules for undergraduate Business.
Acceptance Rate
NYU does not publish a Stern-specific undergraduate acceptance rate, but the university's overall first-year figure is a useful, clearly labeled proxy:
| Metric | Figure | Source/Note |
|---|---|---|
| NYU overall undergraduate acceptance rate (Class of 2029) | 7.7% | University-wide figure; roughly 9,289 admits from over 120,000 applications |
| Stern-specific acceptance rate | Not published | NYU does not break this out separately by school |
Bottom line: treat 7.7% as a university-wide figure, not a Stern-specific precision. Stern is widely regarded as one of NYU's more competitive undergraduate schools given its strong brand and limited seats, so applicants should assume Stern's actual admit rate for Business specifically is at or below the university-wide 7.7% figure, not comfortably above it.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
NYU publishes a single, university-wide tuition figure that applies to Stern's undergraduate programs; total cost of attendance can vary somewhat by school. Approximate annual figures (2026-27, per NYU's published cost of attendance):
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $68,576 |
| Living expenses (New York City) | $32,422 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $100,998 |
NYU notes that total cost of attendance can range from roughly $100,998 to $107,748 per year depending on the specific school; Stern, Tisch, and Tandon set their own, generally somewhat different, tuition and fee levels, so the figures above should be treated as a representative estimate rather than a Stern-exact number. The undergraduate application fee is $85, with fee waivers available.
Admission Requirements
NYU's undergraduate admission, including for Stern, runs through a single centralized process:
- Common Application, Coalition Application, or QuestBridge Application
- School Report and counselor recommendation
- Teacher recommendation letter
- Official high school transcript
- SAT or ACT scores (test-optional; only around a third of the Class of 2029 submitted scores; those who did posted a middle-50% range of 1480-1550 SAT and 34-35 ACT)
- English Language Proficiency test score for applicants whose first language is not English (no hard minimum, but competitive scores are described)
- Application fee or fee waiver request
NYU does not admit students directly to Stern through a separate application process distinct from its main undergraduate application; applicants indicate Stern as their intended school within the standard NYU application. Deadlines include November 1 (Early Decision I, binding), January 1 (Early Decision II, binding), and January 5 (Regular Decision), with Regular Decision results released by April 1.
How to Get Into NYU Stern's BS in Business
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Write a supplemental essay that shows genuine engagement with business, finance, or entrepreneurship, not a generic "I want to work on Wall Street" narrative. Stern's admissions readers see thousands of finance-interested applicants; specificity (a project, internship, competition, or sustained independent interest) stands out far more than proximity to Wall Street alone.
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Use New York City itself as part of your narrative. Because Stern's location in the heart of NYC's finance and business industries is a defining part of its pitch, applicants who articulate a concrete plan to use that access (internships, specific firms, industry events) demonstrate a level of preparation that a purely academic pitch does not.
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Don't assume test-optional means test-irrelevant. Only about a third of NYU's enrolled first-years submitted SAT/ACT scores, and those who did posted a strong 1480-1550 SAT range; if your score is at or above that range, submitting it strengthens a Stern application, while a middling score is better left out given NYU's holistic, essay-driven review.
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Clear the English-proficiency benchmark comfortably if applying as an international student. NYU sets no hard cutoff, but describes IELTS 7.5 or TOEFL 100 as competitive; Stern applicants should treat these as a floor given how competitive the school's applicant pool is overall.
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Consider Early Decision if Stern is a genuine first choice. NYU's Early Decision I and II rounds are binding but historically offer a meaningfully different applicant-to-seat ratio than Regular Decision; only pursue this route if Stern is unambiguously your top choice, given the binding commitment.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
NYU does not set a single hard-cutoff minimum score for IELTS or TOEFL admission; it requires a score be submitted from applicants whose first language is not English, but evaluates it holistically alongside the rest of the application:
- IELTS: no published hard minimum; 7.5 overall described as a competitive benchmark
- TOEFL: no published hard minimum; 100 overall (legacy 0-120 scale, tests through 20 January 2026) or 5.0 overall and on each subscore (ETS's new 1-6 CEFR-aligned scale, tests from 21 January 2026 onward) described as competitive
- Waiver: not required if English is the applicant's native/first language, or in certain cases involving several years of education at an English-medium secondary school
For the full breakdown of NYU's testing policy, see NYU IELTS requirements and NYU TOEFL requirements. Because NYU sets no hard cutoff, applicants sometimes underestimate how much the essay and supplemental writing, rather than the language test itself, drives the decision; a realistic prep window is 6-8 weeks to comfortably clear the competitive benchmarks, with particular attention to Writing given how heavily NYU's supplemental essays are weighted.
Career Outcomes
NYU publishes an undergraduate graduation rate and a list of top recruiters, though it does not break out Stern-specific employment or salary figures:
- Undergraduate graduation rate: 87% (university-wide figure)
- Top undergraduate recruiters (university-wide): Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Google, Deloitte, EY, Meta
Stern graduates specifically are typically concentrated disproportionately in investment banking, consulting, and corporate finance roles at the firms listed above (Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan in particular), reflecting Stern's location advantage and reputation, though NYU does not publish a Stern-specific breakdown to confirm this precisely.
FAQ
Does NYU publish a separate acceptance rate for Stern's BS in Business? No. NYU releases only a university-wide undergraduate acceptance rate (7.7% for the Class of 2029). Stern is widely regarded as one of NYU's more competitive schools, so its actual admit rate for Business is likely at or below that university-wide figure.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for NYU Stern? NYU sets no hard cutoff for either test but describes IELTS 7.5 or TOEFL 100 (5.0 on the new 1-6 scale for tests from 21 January 2026) as competitive benchmarks, evaluated holistically alongside the rest of the application.
How much does NYU Stern's BS in Business cost? Using NYU's published university-wide undergraduate figures, tuition is $68,576/year with a total cost of attendance around $100,998/year (up to $107,748 depending on school), before financial aid; Stern may set a somewhat different exact figure.
Is NYU need-blind for Stern undergraduate admissions? NYU meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted first-year students on the New York campus and offers free tuition to families earning under $100,000, but its process is need-aware for a portion of the applicant pool rather than fully need-blind; confirm the current-cycle policy for international applicants specifically.
Do I apply to Stern separately from NYU's main application? No. Stern applicants use NYU's single, centralized undergraduate application (Common App, Coalition App, or QuestBridge) and indicate Stern as their intended school within that application, rather than submitting a separate Stern-specific application.
Will I need a visa interview to study at NYU's New York campus? Yes. NYU's New York campus is SEVP-certified and issues Form I-20s for the F-1 student visa, which includes the standard US consular interview process; NYU's Office of Global Services supports applicants through this process, though interview scheduling is set by the US government.