NYU Shanghai received a record-breaking high of nearly 24,000 applications for its class of 2029. The milestone aligns with NYU’s latest overall admissions rate, which also reached a record high with more applications than any other private university in the United States.

Each class at NYU Shanghai has approximately 500 available spots, half of which are reserved for domestic students from China and autonomous regions such as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The remaining spots are given to international students, with around 53% from the United States and the rest from 156 other countries. 

NYU Shanghai’s class of 2027 received just 16,773 applications from 84 different countries. The campus’ class of 2026 received 16,059 applications and its class of 2024 received over 13,000. 

Applications from domestic students have grown a cumulative of 47% in the past three years, a trend that runs parallel to a general increase in Chinese students who wish to stay in the country while still receiving an international education. 

“There has been a lot more social media coverage about the school on Chinese social media apps,” Savanna Peng, a junior at NYU Shanghai told WSN. “There’s also more Chinese nationals who might want to progress into a career or future studies in the United States — so this school is the perfect pathway for them.”

The Shanghai campus prides itself on being the first Sino-U.S. research university in China, holding a unique position in the international education market. Yuhan Xu, the media relations manager at NYU Shanghai, emphasized the site’s opportunities for immersive cross-cultural exchange, practical learning and professional development in a statement to WSN.

“We were the first to get this campus so I don’t think any other school is gonna have what we have with the United States,” Regan Slattery, an NYU Shanghai junior, said. “When you think of Sino-U.S. schools, you think of NYU Shanghai — it’s a very important campus.”

Duke Kunshan University, a joint venture between Duke University and Wuhan University located about an hour away from Shanghai, also received an all-time high of 11,884 applications this year. The upward trend for these two universities contrasts with the decreased interest from American students in studying in China. As of May 2024, there were approximately 800 Americans studying in China, down from 15,000 in the 2011-12 academic year. 

All students at NYU Shanghai are required to study away for at least one semester as part of their academic program. According to Peng, “some Chinese students are worried about whether or not they will be allowed to study away in America or get a visa,” given President Donald Trump’s 2020 policies that revoked study visas for thousands of Chinese students. 

In a statement to WSN, David Pe — the dean of students at NYU Shanghai — said he hopes more students at the university’s New York campus take the opportunity to study away in Shanghai. 

“Now more than ever, it is important to students,” Pe said. “Especially those who haven’t had the chance to experience and engage with China.”

Contact Grace Tan at [email protected].