New York University
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
NYU IS A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY WITH APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MATRICULATING STUDENTS IN 20 SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTES. NYU'S PRIMARY MISSIONS ARE EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP, AND PATIENT CARE.
- Income
- $12.4 billion
- Spending
- $11.8 billion
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- -7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 77%
- Employees
- 50,092
- Volunteers
- 5,553
- Highest pay
- $30.3 million, dean & ceo - nyu langone health
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 60% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2543 of 50 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Reports results. Its tax return states measurable results. These are its own figures and nobody has checked them.
Results it reports
- The College of Dentistry cares for some 50,000 poor and low-income New Yorkers each year.Work delivered
- The College of Nursing provides undergraduate and graduate education for over 1,400 nursing students.Work delivered
- NYU confers over 22,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees annually.Change achieved
- NYU has approximately 60,000 matriculating students.Work delivered
Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $4.7 billion spent. PATIENT CARE: NYU'S ACADEMIC MEDICAL PROGRAMS ARE A MAJOR ELEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY'S MISSION, AND ITS ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER - NYU LANGONE HEALTH - IS AMONG THE FOREMOST HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS IN THE U.S. THE NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1841; FROM ITS EARLIEST YEARS, IT HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF ADVANCING THE MEDICAL PROFESSION AND MEDICAL RESEARCH, INCLUDING PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS THAT LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW YORK CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ESTABLISHING THE FIRST OUTPATIENT CLINIC, ESTABLISHING THE FIRST LABORATORY DEVOTED TO TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN BACTERIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY, CREATING THE FIRST DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC MEDICINE, CREATING THE FIRST DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION IN THE U.S., AND ESTABLISHING ONE OF THE FIRST MD-PHD PROGRAMS. IT'S FACULTY AND GRADUATES HAVE INCLUDED NOBEL LAUREATES, THE DISCOVERER OF THE MOSQUITO AS THE SOURCE OF TRANSMISSION OF YELLOW FEVER, BOTH CREATORS OF THE POLIO VACCINE, AND THE RESEARCHERS WHO FOUND (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) THE LINKAGE BETWEEN KAPOSI'S SARCOMA AND IMMUNE DEFICIENCY IN A DISTINCT POPULATION OF GAY MEN (A KEY STEP IN IDENTIFYING AIDS), AMONG OTHER LEADERS IN MEDICINE. THROUGH AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS, THE DOCTORS AND STUDENTS AT NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ENSURING TOP QUALITY CARE NOT ONLY AT NYU LANGONE HEALTH, BUT ALSO AT THE MANHATTAN VA HOSPITAL AND BELLEVUE HOSPITAL (ARGUABLY THE FOREMOST PUBLIC HOSPITAL IN THE U.S.). THE NYU COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY, THE LARGEST DENTAL SCHOOL IN THE U.S. AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE ORAL HEALTH CENTER IN THE WORLD, CARES FOR SOME 50,000 POOR AND LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS EACH YEAR, OPERATES A MOBILE DENTAL CARE PROGRAM WHICH TRAVELS TO UNDERSERVED AREAS OF NEW YORK STATE, AND HAS ESTABLISHED A PROFESSION-LEADING CENTER TO SERVE THE ORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF THOSE WITH DISABILITIES. IN ADDITION, NYU HAS A SCHOOL OF GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH, AND NYU'S RORY MEYERS COLLEGE OF NURSING PROVIDES UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE EDUCATION FOR OVER 1,400 NURSING STUDENTS.
- $3.2 billion spent. EDUCATION: FOUNDED IN 1831, NYU IS AMONG THE LARGEST PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.S., WITH 20 SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTES, APPROXIMATELY 5,000 FULL-TIME FACULTY MEMBERS, AND APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MATRICULATING STUDENTS. NYU ANNUALLY CONFERS OVER 22,000 UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEGREES; IT PROVIDES OVER $650 MILLION PER YEAR IN SCHOLARSHIP AID TO UNDERGRADUATES AND SINCE THE FALL OF 2021 HAS MET DEMONSTRATED NEED FOR INCOMING FIRST-YEAR UNDERGRADUATES. NYU HAS AN UNPARALLELED INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE WITH THREE DEGREE-GRANTING LIBERAL ARTS RESEARCH UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES (IN NEW YORK, ABU DHABI, AND SHANGHAI) AND 13 GLOBAL ACADEMIC SITES (FOR STUDY ABROAD) ON SIX CONTINENTS; SENDS MORE STUDENTS TO STUDY ABROAD THAN ANY OTHER U.S. COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY; AND ENROLLS MORE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THAN ANY OTHER U.S. UNIVERSITY.
- $1.4 billion spent. RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP: AS A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES (AAU) AND CLASSIFIED AS AN R1 INSTITUTION, NYU IS A TOP-TIER RECIPIENT OF FUNDING FROM THE NIH, NSF, AND OTHER MAJOR FEDERAL AND PRIVATE AGENCIES. NYU IS A MAJOR RESEARCH INSTITUTION, WITH SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FROM NIH, NSF AND OTHER FUNDERS; IT IS A TOP 12 INSTITUTION NATIONALLY IN THE NSF'S ANNUAL HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SURVEY (AND #1 IN NEW YORK STATE), AND IT IS ONE OF THE SELECT GROUP OF U.S. UNIVERSITIES WITH RESEARCH EXPENDITURES EXCEEDING $1 BILLION PER YEAR. THE RESEARCH AND CREATIVE OUTPUT OF NYU'S SCHOLARS HAVE LED TO THE RECEIPT OF NOBEL PRIZES; ABEL PRIZES; PULITZER PRIZES; GUGGENHEIMS; THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF THE ARTS; THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE; THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF TECHNOLOGY; NSF WATERMAN AWARDS; MAX PLANCK AWARDS; THE KAVLI PRIZE; MEMBERSHIP FOR DOZENS OF FACULTY IN THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE; ACADEMY AWARDS; TONY AWARDS; AND GRAMMY AWARDS, AMONG MANY OTHER HONORS FOR THE UNIVERSITY'S FACULTY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) IN 2025, FAST COMPANY AND INC. MAGAZINES NAMED NYU AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP UNIVERSITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION, EARNING RECOGNITION AS A TOP 8 IGNITION SCHOOL - "ECONOMIC ENGINES THAT GENERATE THE IDEAS, BUSINESSES, AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT MOVE CITIES, REGIONS, AND COUNTRIES TOWARD A BETTER FUTURE." NYU FACULTY FINDINGS ARE REGULARLY PUBLISHED IN TOP JOURNALS ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF SCHOLARLY DISCIPLINES. IN 2025, CLARIVATE ANALYTICS' HIGHLY CITED RESEARCHERS LIST NAMED TWENTY-EIGHT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AMONG THE WORLD'S MOST-CITED RESEARCHERS. NYU HAS LEADING PROGRAMS IN ECONOMICS, MATHEMATICS (AND PARTICULARLY APPLIED MATHEMATICS), NEUROSCIENCE, GENOMICS, SOFT CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SOCIOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY, THE LAW, MEDICINE AND BIO-MEDICAL SCIENCES, THE CINEMATIC AND PERFORMING ARTS, AND BUSINESS AND FINANCE, AMONG MANY OTHER SCHOLARLY FIELDS.
- $981.9 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: STUDENT SERVICES; STUDENT AID; LIBRARY; AND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PLANT.
- (Expenses $ 981,866,818 including grants of $ 104,106,164)(Revenue $ 1,234,764,984) OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: STUDENT SERVICES; STUDENT AID; LIBRARY; AND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PLANT.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending August 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1985.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.