New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has welcomed 299 of the world’s best students in the Class of 2019, a diverse group of young men and women representing 85 nationalities and speaking some 75 languages.

NYUAD’s Class of 2019 was selected from over 10,000 applicants around the world. The yield for the incoming class — the percentage of students who choose to attend NYUAD after being admitted — was 81 percent.

For the first time, Emiratis make up the largest group of students by nationality, with 43 Emirati students in the Class of 2019. In addition to the United Arab Emirates, students from the United States, China, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Hungary, Japan, Jordan and Nepal are all heavily represented in the class. With the Class of 2019, NYUAD’s total student population of over 880 students, hails from more than 110 countries and speaks more than 100 languages, reflecting the international diversity and multicultural character of Abu Dhabi.

NYU President John Sexton said: “Once again NYU Abu Dhabi has welcomed an amazingly bright and compassionate group of global citizens to our international community of scholars. With their unique energy, diverse perspective and potential for leadership, these 299 young men and women will contribute remarkably to the distinctive model of education that NYU and Abu Dhabi are pioneering."

NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Al Bloom said: "The Class of 2019 builds further on our unprecedented success in attracting students of extraordinary diversity, intellectual passion and talent, and resolve to lift perspective beyond the parochial and the ideological, to the creation of shared understanding and purpose."

"It means a great deal to us that Emirati students are the most highly represented nationality in the class, at 14 percent, and that an additional 84 nationalities are represented creating a culture that at once draws importantly from its host nation and forms a true microcosm of the world," Dr. Bloom said. "We are confident that these students will develop into wise, caring, and successful leaders of a more united and peaceful globe."

NYUAD students undergo a rigorous selection and interview process and must demonstrate impressive academic credentials. In pre-arrival surveys members of the Class of 2019 report choosing NYUAD over some of the world’s most prestigious universities – including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Dartmouth – for its small class sizes, rigorous and innovative curriculum, geographic location, and incredible student diversity.

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 23 students receiving perfect 800 scores), while at the 25th percentile, the score was 733. At the 75th percentile, the score for critical reading was 750 (with 8 students receiving perfect 800 scores). At the 25th percentile, it was 703. The median SAT score was 1,505 (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 31 out of a 36-point scale.
International Baccalaureate (IB): Those submitting IB results reported an average predicted score of 40 (out of a scale of 45).

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.