New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Summary
New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) is one of the most selective and internationally recognized universities in the United Arab Emirates. Founded in partnership with New York University and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, it enrolled its first class in 2010. NYU has a global network that includes New York, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai and academic sites on multiple continents. The university is located on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. NYUAD is particularly well-suited for students seeking an intensely international liberal arts and science education with significant research exposure, global mobility, small-class learning, interdisciplinary study, and access to a global academic network.
NYUAD is unlike many other universities in the UAE that are not primarily traditional career training institutions. Undergraduate education is rooted in the liberal arts and sciences. Students are not limited to one narrow professional track; they also complete a broad Core Curriculum, explore multiple disciplines, complete a major, develop research skills and participate in global education opportunities. According to the official NYUAD undergraduate pages, the university offers 26 undergraduate majors in Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Science and Social Science, and many minors and specializations.
Available undergraduate majors are Arab Crossroads Studies, Art and Art History, Film and New Media, History, Interactive Media, Literature and Creative Writing, Music, Philosophy, Theater, Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Business, Organizations and Society, Economics, Legal Studies, Political Science and Social Research and Public Policy. These are real undergraduate majors, not to be confused with graduate or PhD programs.
NYUAD is also a research powerhouse. The academic environment encourages students to ask novel questions, to complete capstone work, to participate in research labs, to collaborate with faculty and to use interdisciplinary approaches. Engineering students can collaborate on robotics, sustainability, urban systems, biomedical systems, cybersecurity and innovation-driven projects. Science students can study biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science and psychology and data-informed research. Students of social science may specialize in economics, government and politics, public policy, law, human behavior and social research. Arts and humanities students may pursue creative, historical, cultural, literary, philosophical and media-based inquiry.
NYUAD offers specialized graduate programs at the postgraduate level, not a broad list of general master’s programs. Graduate offerings. MFA in Art and Media. MSc in Interdisciplinary Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA. These programs are separate from undergraduate majors and are designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree or accepted equivalent qualification. The MBA is provided through NYUAD’s Stern School and the MFA and MSc programs are within the graduate academic ecosystem of NYUAD.
Global PhD Student Fellowships: NYUAD offers doctoral fellowships in collaboration with NYU graduate schools in New York, including NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science, NYU Steinhardt and NYU Tandon School of Engineering. According to the official PhD page , global PhD students spend 1-2 years of coursework in New York before coming to NYU Abu Dhabi to complete research and thesis work. Fellowships cover tuition, fees, health insurance, stipend, degree-related travel assistance and on-campus housing in Abu Dhabi.
NYUAD is expensive relative to many other universities in the UAE. For full-time undergraduate students, the official undergraduate cost of attendance page lists 2026–2027 tuition at $68,576 and total estimated cost of attendance at $90,328. This equates to approximately AED 251,845 for tuition and approximately AED 331,730 for total estimated annual cost. But NYUAD also has a reputation for financial aid and scholarship support, especially for undergraduate students who apply through NYU’s financial aid process and for certain graduate programs.
Overall, NYU Abu Dhabi is best for academically strong students who want a global, research-rich, residential, English-medium university experience in the UAE. Of particular interest to students with an interest in the liberal arts, sciences, engineering, research, economics, public policy, creative arts, media, computer science, data science and AI, global affairs, graduate research and international career pathways.
NYUAD is unlike many other universities in the UAE that are not primarily traditional career training institutions. Undergraduate education is rooted in the liberal arts and sciences. Students are not limited to one narrow professional track; they also complete a broad Core Curriculum, explore multiple disciplines, complete a major, develop research skills and participate in global education opportunities. According to the official NYUAD undergraduate pages, the university offers 26 undergraduate majors in Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Science and Social Science, and many minors and specializations.
Available undergraduate majors are Arab Crossroads Studies, Art and Art History, Film and New Media, History, Interactive Media, Literature and Creative Writing, Music, Philosophy, Theater, Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Business, Organizations and Society, Economics, Legal Studies, Political Science and Social Research and Public Policy. These are real undergraduate majors, not to be confused with graduate or PhD programs.
NYUAD is also a research powerhouse. The academic environment encourages students to ask novel questions, to complete capstone work, to participate in research labs, to collaborate with faculty and to use interdisciplinary approaches. Engineering students can collaborate on robotics, sustainability, urban systems, biomedical systems, cybersecurity and innovation-driven projects. Science students can study biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science and psychology and data-informed research. Students of social science may specialize in economics, government and politics, public policy, law, human behavior and social research. Arts and humanities students may pursue creative, historical, cultural, literary, philosophical and media-based inquiry.
NYUAD offers specialized graduate programs at the postgraduate level, not a broad list of general master’s programs. Graduate offerings. MFA in Art and Media. MSc in Interdisciplinary Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA. These programs are separate from undergraduate majors and are designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree or accepted equivalent qualification. The MBA is provided through NYUAD’s Stern School and the MFA and MSc programs are within the graduate academic ecosystem of NYUAD.
Global PhD Student Fellowships: NYUAD offers doctoral fellowships in collaboration with NYU graduate schools in New York, including NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science, NYU Steinhardt and NYU Tandon School of Engineering. According to the official PhD page , global PhD students spend 1-2 years of coursework in New York before coming to NYU Abu Dhabi to complete research and thesis work. Fellowships cover tuition, fees, health insurance, stipend, degree-related travel assistance and on-campus housing in Abu Dhabi.
NYUAD is expensive relative to many other universities in the UAE. For full-time undergraduate students, the official undergraduate cost of attendance page lists 2026–2027 tuition at $68,576 and total estimated cost of attendance at $90,328. This equates to approximately AED 251,845 for tuition and approximately AED 331,730 for total estimated annual cost. But NYUAD also has a reputation for financial aid and scholarship support, especially for undergraduate students who apply through NYU’s financial aid process and for certain graduate programs.
Overall, NYU Abu Dhabi is best for academically strong students who want a global, research-rich, residential, English-medium university experience in the UAE. Of particular interest to students with an interest in the liberal arts, sciences, engineering, research, economics, public policy, creative arts, media, computer science, data science and AI, global affairs, graduate research and international career pathways.
