New York University Abu Dhabi Welcomes Class of 2018

Among the activities organized to welcome freshmen and help them get acquainted with the campus is a scavenger hunt which includes activities in the gym, fitness center and library among other spots.

More than 260 students representing 79 countries join NYUAD this year

Press Release

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has welcomed 263 of the world’s best students as its Class of 2018, a diverse group of young men and women representing 79 countries and speaking more than 65 languages.

The yield for the incoming class — the percentage of students who attend NYUAD after being admitted — was 82 percent.

Students with nationalities from the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China, India, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Australia are all heavily represented in the class. With the Class of 2018, NYUAD’s total student population of 739 students hails from 107 countries and speaks more than 100 languages, reflecting the international diversity and multicultural character of Abu Dhabi.

NYUAD students undergo a rigorous selection and interview process and must demonstrate impressive academic credentials. With their arrival at NYUAD, the members of the Class of 2018 join an exceptional student population, equal to those of the world’s most prestigious universities. NYUAD, 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: At the class' 75th percentile, the SAT math score was 800 (with 25 students receiving perfect 800 scores), while at the 25th percentile, the score was 725. At the 75th percentile, the score for critical reading was 760 (with 10 students receiving perfect 800 scores). At the 25th percentile, it was 680. The median SAT score was 1,480 (out of the 1,600 scale).

ACT: The ACT — a US-based standardized test that encompasses English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning — composite average was 32 out of a 36-point scale.

International Baccalaureate (IB): Those submitting IB results reported an average predicted score of 41 (out of a scale of 45).

“In just four years, NYU Abu Dhabi has established itself as a university of truly global distinction, and the diverse and talented members of the Class of 2018 will contribute remarkably to this trajectory,” said NYU President John Sexton. “With the opening of our new campus on Saadiyat Island, and the start of our fifth academic year, these are exciting days for everyone at NYUAD. We look forward to the myriad ways the newest members of the NYUAD community will leave their marks – on Abu Dhabi, and the entire NYU global network.”

NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Al Bloom added: “Once again NYU Abu Dhabi has welcomed some of the top students from across the world. They are students who are immensely bright, passionate about intellectual pursuit, and committed to building a humane and inclusive community on campus that is a microcosm of the world community they want to shape. They are students who, through partnership with NYUAD, will become wise and effective leaders of a global world.”

As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYU Abu Dhabi serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, and knowledge creation and exchange through its academic, research, and creative activities. NYUAD, which opened its doors in 2010 and transitioned to its permanent campus on Saadiyat Island this year, 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.


About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 115 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.