Cost of Attendance
The budgets below represent the estimated annual cost (in US dollars) of enrollment for full-time undergraduate students at NYU Abu Dhabi. The calculations shown are for fall and spring semesters only, which include tuition, foreign travel for study integral to a student's academic program, food and housing, student health insurance, personal expenses, books, and campus life activities.
Annual adjustments to the costs and fees at NYU Abu Dhabi may be necessary and should be expected. The estimated travel cost listed is based on two round-trip tickets to and from home and NYU Abu Dhabi each year. Students’ travel costs will vary based on their home location and other factors.
Important Considerations
- The estimated cost of attendance may differ from a student's actual charges once they are posted on their university (bursar) bill, as the cost of attendance is an estimated amount.
- The university bill will be issued by the Student Finance Office and will be viewable through the NYU eSuite every semester that you are enrolled. For questions regarding your bill/charges/payments you may contact Student Finance at nyuad.studentfinance@nyu.edu, or if you are a current student, you can visit the Student Finance website.
- Students must be covered by health insurance that originates in the UAE to be eligible for the required entry visa. As such, the student health insurance is a mandatory fee, and charges may vary.
Estimated Cost of Attendance in 2026-2027
Calculations in US dollars
Estimated Cost of Attendance in 2025-2026
Calculations in US dollars
How Is Financial Aid Applied to the Cost of Attendance?
The Cost of Attendance (COA) listed represents the estimated annual cost of education to attend NYUAD as a full-time undergraduate student for one academic year. The COA above reflects the fall and spring semesters only. Enrollment in 12-18 credits per semester is considered full-time status. If you are enrolling in summer and/or J-Terms, the estimated COA for those semester(s) will be accessible on your NYU Albert Student Center closer to the start of that semester.
Annual adjustments to the costs and fees at NYU Abu Dhabi may be necessary and should be expected. The estimated COA consists of direct and indirect expenses.
Direct expenses are costs that are charged by the university. The Student Finance Office will send out billing notifications each semester. Charges that will be displayed on your university bill will include tuition, books, student health insurance, NYU housing and food (meals), VAT for food (meals), and VAT for Student Health Insurance. If you have any questions regarding billing, payments, or charges, please contact the Student Finance Office at nyuad.studentfinance@nyu.edu.
NYUAD does not re-evaluate for institutional aid in subsequent years, as typically all of the institutional aid offered upon admission will be renewed at the same level during your time at NYUAD. Accepting your offer of admission is also an acceptance of the financial aid award offered at the time of your admission, so no further action is required to secure the aid. The grants will automatically be deducted from your direct charges each semester.
Indirect expenses are costs, estimated within the COA, that students may incur during the academic year. These estimations can be used for planning purposes. You will not see these expenses charged on your semester’s university bill. It is meant for you to use for your planning, as you should anticipate needing these categories at some point during the academic year. These estimated expenses will vary for each student. Indirect costs include estimated personal and travel expenses.
Personal Support and Travel Support
What is Personal Support (aka Falcon Dirhams)?
Falcon Dirhams are a form of campus digital currency that can be used for purchases at select merchants, including on-campus dining outlets, campus pharmacy, and other approved vendors. They are loaded directly onto students’ campus ID cards and are intended to support day-to-day personal study expenses while on campus. The list of approved merchants is available on the Finances Services website within the Student Portal (NYU student login credentials are required to access the list).
The Student Finance Office will distribute the personal support for eligible students each semester. If you are eligible, you will see the Personal Support awards in your Award Letter. For additional questions about usage and disbursement dates, you may email the Student Finance Office at nyuad.studentfinance@nyu.edu.
What is Travel Support?
The NYUAD Travel Support (frequently referred to as “home travel”) is a resource provided to eligible students and is outlined in their financial aid award letter.
If your award offer includes Travel Support, please do not book your own flights. The Office of Global Education handles these arrangements directly. You will receive an email in mid-May with detailed instructions and next steps for your journey to Abu Dhabi.
If your financial aid offer does not include the Travel Support award, you are responsible for securing your own flight to campus. Your flight must be booked to arrive in Abu Dhabi during the scheduled move-in dates for Marhaba. Due to UAE visa regulations, flights must arrive in Abu Dhabi, not Dubai or Sharjah.
Please note that in mid-May, you will also receive more information about the UAE visa process. Once the visa procurement process begins, please do not plan any kind of travel through the UAE before Marhaba, as this would invalidate the entry permit the University will be arranging for you.
If you have any questions about travel arrangements and visa requirements, you should send your inquiry to the Office of Global Education — Student Mobility at nyuad.studentmobility@nyu.edu.
Outside Financial Support
If you expect to receive financial support from a source outside of your family, please notify the Office of Financial Aid of that assistance. Such support may be in the form of government grants, scholarships from community organizations, or other sources. Any such financial support from an external source will be considered in determining the amount of financial aid you ultimately receive from NYU Abu Dhabi. Your combined awards cannot exceed the estimated annual Cost of Attendance.
Students are encouraged to contact our office at nyuad.financial.support@nyu.edu if they have any questions.