NYU Abu Dhabi’s Class of 2023, made up of over 400 students, from 81 different countries on six continents, and speaking 65 languages, is the University’s tenth and largest incoming class since welcoming its first students in 2010.
With a current undergraduate student body of nearly 1,500, NYUAD is on track to reach a total undergraduate student population of roughly 2,200.
NYUAD’s Class of 2023 was selected from over 14,000 applicants around the world. The yield for the incoming class — the percentage of students who choose to attend NYUAD after being admitted — makes the University one of the most highly selective of any in the world.
Within the Class of 2023, UAE Nationals and Americans make up the two largest groups of students by nationality, with 14 percent Emirati students and 12 percent from the US. Students from South Korea, China, Pakistan, India, and Egypt make up the next largest cohorts. NYUAD’s new incoming class also includes students from Eritrea, Mauritius, and Niger for the first time ever.
Fourteen percent of the class are first generation students, meaning that they are the first from their immediate family to attend University. Fifty-six percent of incoming students are women.
NYU President Andrew Hamilton said: “I am thrilled to welcome the Class of 2023 to NYU Abu Dhabi and to the larger NYU family. Coming to us from over 80 countries, the Class of 2023 joins a diverse student body at NYU Abu Dhabi – diverse geographically, ethnically, diverse in life experience, and myriad other ways. This is a deeply held NYU value – we believe that engaging with people who are different from us is both worthwhile and deeply rewarding, and a vital part of your education.”
NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann said: “Welcome to the Class of 2023! I am delighted to have joined NYU Abu Dhabi in August as Vice Chancellor and in my first few months it has been a special pleasure to welcome our tenth class – our largest yet – to their home away from home for the next four years. Class of 2023, you are quickly becoming essential parts of this institution and this community of nearly 1,500 undergraduate students. As you are embarking on your educational journeys, it is remarkable to see you already embracing opportunities – both inside and outside of the classroom – with passion, energy, and boldness. In the years to come I urge you to continue this full engagement of the new and the unfamiliar, and to foster and strengthen your own ability to move across difference. Together, you will forge a more hopeful community, steward a more sustainable planet, and create a more just and beautiful world.”
Class of 2023 student Victoria Alvarez, Venezuela, 19, said: “It is in diversity and differences that we can find the tools to build the world we want, where we are all welcome despite our nationality, religion, or appearance. NYUAD promotes intercultural understanding; it encourages us to go out there and understand how things work so we can be the best leaders of tomorrow. When I found out that these were the values of this University, I knew this was the place I wanted to spend the next four years of my life.”
Class of 2023 student Abdulla Almarzooqi, UAE, 18, said: “As I applied to universities, I was looking for an experience that will allow me to travel abroad and experience independence, yet I was eager to be close to my family and friends. Being an Emirati residing in Dubai, NYU Abu Dhabi will allow me to experience living independently through moving into the residences, while also being an hour’s drive away from my family home. Furthermore, there are numerous opportunities for me to travel around the world for my academics and extracurriculars. Since the start of high school, I have had a growing passion for both economics and business. NYUAD’s economics program would be the ideal path for me to continue fulfilling my passion. I will also have the opportunity to take a cross-school minor in business at NYU Stern in New York City, which is a leading world-renowned business school.”
Class of 2023 student Vanessa Robinson, US, 18, said: “I selected NYU Abu Dhabi to pursue my degree mainly because of the opportunity to interact and connect with people from many different backgrounds while also spending all four years abroad in another country. At NYUAD I would be able to hear and understand the different perspectives and opinions from people located around the globe about various issues.”
NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU Shanghai, and NYU in New York form the backbone of NYU’s global network of degree-granting campuses and academic centers across six continents. The first of its kind, this global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective.
NYU ranks 29th globally in the Times Higher Education World University rankings for 2020, and 11th globally in the QS Graduate Employability rankings for 2019. All rankings are based on enrollment and programs throughout all campuses of New York University, including NYU Abu Dhabi.
NYU Abu Dhabi students undergo a rigorous selection and interview process and must demonstrate impressive academic credentials. In pre-arrival surveys, members of the Class of 2023 report choosing NYUAD over some of the world’s most prestigious universities – including Harvard, Cornell, McGill, London School of Economics, and Yale – for its small class sizes, rigorous and innovative curriculum, geographic location, and incredible student diversity
NYU Abu Dhabi, like NYU in New York, accepts a number of options that satisfy its testing requirements in recognition of the international composition of both institutions. Results include:
SAT: Of the students who took the SAT, the 75th percentile for the SAT Math score was 800 (with 62 students scoring a perfect score) while at the 25th percentile, the score was 730. At the 75th percentile for Evidence-Based Reading & Writing the score was 750. At the 25th percentile, the figure was 670. The median overall SAT score was 1,490 (out of a scale of 1,600).
ACT: The ACT – a US-based standardized test that encompasses English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning – median composite score was 34 out of a 36-point scale.
International Baccalaureate (IB): Students completing the IB Diploma reported a median predicted score of 39 (out of a scale of 42).
In addition to its undergraduate program, NYUAD also has over 80 Global PhD students in Science and Engineering, who are closely connected to graduate programs in New York.
NYU Abu Dhabi serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, and knowledge creation and exchange through its academic, research, and creative activities. NYU Abu Dhabi, which opened its doors in 2010, was established in partnership with NYU and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and founded upon a shared understanding of the essential roles and challenges of higher education in the 21st century.
