Universities in New York for International Students: Columbia, NYU, CUNY, SUNY and 2026/27 Costs

New York State hosts the second-largest international student population in the U.S.: 137,799 students in 2024/25 (IIE Open Doors). New York City is home to NYU, which hosts more international students than any other U.S. institution (27,532), and Columbia, third nationally (20,733). At private Manhattan universities a full 2026/27 year comes to roughly $100,000: $100,998 at NYU and $99,774 at Columbia. The cheapest route is the city's public CUNY system, where F-1 students pay $620 per credit at four-year colleges — about $18,600 in annual tuition.

This guide separates the city from the state, compares private universities, CUNY and SUNY, lists 2026/27 costs, explains which schools give international students need-based aid, and outlines how to apply. If you are still choosing a state, start with our overview of universities in the USA for international students.

Who New York suits

A good fit if you are heading into finance, media, design, film, theater or tech and want internships during the academic year, not only in summer. It also works if you want a bachelor's degree in a major city on a limited budget: look at CUNY.

Think twice if your family cannot cover $20,000–26,000 a year for housing and food alone, if you want a traditional residential campus, or if big-city pace wears you down. Compare upstate New York, Boston or smaller college towns.

New York City or New York State

"Universities in New York" covers two very different geographies.

Three groups: private, CUNY and SUNY

Private universities are the most expensive and the most varied: from Columbia, with an admit rate around 4%, to smaller universities that admit most applicants and offer merit scholarships. Only the wealthiest offer need-based aid to international students.

CUNY (City University of New York) is the city's public system. Four-year (senior) colleges such as Baruch, Hunter and City College award bachelor's degrees; community colleges award associate degrees. F-1 students pay New York State nonresident tuition, which is still lower than at any private university in the city.

SUNY (State University of New York) is the state system. Its largest research campuses include Stony Brook on Long Island, the University at Buffalo, Binghamton and Albany. International students pay nonresident tuition. The University at Buffalo hosts the most international students of any New York public university: 9,033 in 2024/25.

New York universities compared

Admit rates come from Common Data Sets or the federal College Navigator database for the year shown. Budgets for NYU, Columbia, Cornell, Pace and Iona include tuition, fees, housing, food and other costs; Manhattan University's figure covers direct charges only; LIU and Baruch figures are tuition only.

Columbia and Cornell: the state's two Ivies

Columbia is the only Ivy League university in New York City, with its campus in Morningside Heights, Manhattan. High school graduates apply to Columbia College (liberal arts with the Core Curriculum) or Columbia Engineering; the School of General Studies serves students whose education was interrupted or who start later. Columbia is need-aware for international applicants but meets 100% of demonstrated need for those it admits; the average international aid award is $79,375. You must request aid when you apply. The application fee is $85. For fall 2027 entry the SAT/ACT is optional; it becomes required again for fall 2028 applicants.

Cornell is a large Ivy with its campus in Ithaca, a few hours from New York City. It is need-aware for international applicants and requires the SAT or ACT. Tuition for 2026/27 is $73,946 and the full budget $99,734. In the "contract colleges" that Cornell runs with New York State, state residents pay $49,816, but nonresidents, including international students, pay the same $73,946. Early Decision closes November 1; Regular Decision, January 2. See our Cornell profile and the Ivy League admissions guide.

NYU and other private universities

NYU enrolls more international students than any other U.S. institution. Its buildings are spread through Greenwich Village rather than a closed campus. Well-known schools include Stern (business), Tisch (film, theater, arts), Courant (mathematics and computer science) and Tandon (engineering, in Brooklyn). The 2026/27 budget is $100,998, including $68,576 in tuition and fees and $26,438 for food and housing. See our NYU profile.

Fordham is a Jesuit university with campuses at Rose Hill in the Bronx and Lincoln Center in Manhattan. In fall 2024 it admitted 59% of 43,364 applicants — a realistic option for a strong but not exceptional profile.

The New School combines Parsons School of Design with liberal arts colleges; for Parsons, the portfolio is the central document.

Pace, Manhattan University, LIU, Iona, Adelphi and Manhattanville are private universities with gentler admission and merit scholarships. For example, Pace estimates $87,148 for 2026/27 in Manhattan and $82,748 in Westchester; Manhattan University lists direct costs of $74,530 and automatically considers all admitted students for merit scholarships (Trustee for the top 5% of applicants, Presidential for the top 15%); LIU tuition is $41,874.

Creative schools. Beyond Tisch and Parsons, the city has Juilliard, Pratt Institute, the School of Visual Arts and the New York Film Academy. Portfolios, auditions and creative tasks decide admission, and deadlines often differ from the general ones.

CUNY: the most affordable way into New York City

CUNY states that F-1 and J-1 students pay New York State nonresident tuition:

• four-year college tuition: $620 per credit (a typical 30-credit year = $18,600);
• CUNY community college tuition: $320 per credit;
• technology fee: $125 per semester; student activity fees: $60–180 per semester;
• CUNY's nine-month 2026/27 budget for a student living away from home: $32,583, including $20,124 for housing.

A year at Baruch or Hunter therefore comes to roughly $51,000–52,000 including tuition and CUNY's standard living allowance. The downsides: limited housing, almost no need-based aid for international students, and a separate CUNY application portal.

Living costs in New York City

These are nine-month figures; add three months of rent if you stay for the summer. See student housing in the USA.

Matching schools to your field

How to apply

1. Build a list of 8–12 schools across the three groups — for example, Columbia or NYU, two or three less selective private universities, a SUNY campus and a CUNY college.
2. Take English and admission tests in spring or summer 2026. Columbia also accepts InitialView or Vericant video interviews as evidence of spoken English: by November 15 for Early Decision and January 15 for Regular Decision.
3. Prepare documents: transcripts with translations, school profile, recommendations, essays. Columbia requires official English translations submitted with the originals.
4. Submit applications. Private universities use the Common App (Columbia also takes the Coalition Application); CUNY has its own portal. Early Decision at Columbia and Cornell closes November 1, 2026; Regular Decision on January 1 and January 2, 2027 respectively.
5. Apply for aid together with admission. Columbia's aid deadlines are November 15 for Early Decision and February 15 for Regular Decision.
6. After admission, obtain your I-20 and prepare for the F-1 visa: see the F-1 visa guide.

The full process is in applying to U.S. universities.

Notes for applicants from Russia and Central Asia

• Translations. Columbia requires official translations of transcripts and recommendations with the originals; prepare translations before the season starts.
• Payments. Application fees, deposits and tuition are paid from abroad; see paying for studies abroad from Russia.
• Proof of funds. For the I-20 you will need to document the first year's cost — about $100,000 at a private Manhattan university.
• Visa. Admission does not automatically lead to an F-1 visa; the U.S. consulate decides. Confirm your place early to leave time for the interview and screening.
• Russian undesirable-organizations list. Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, has been on Russia's list since 2021, which creates legal risk for Russian citizens under Russian law; citizens of other countries are not affected. None of the universities in the table above is on the list.

Work and internships

F-1 students may work on campus within an hours limit; off-campus work is allowed only through CPT or OPT in their field. See working while studying and OPT.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the city with the state. Cornell, Rochester and Syracuse are hundreds of kilometers from Manhattan.
• Comparing tuition only. Housing and food add $20,000–26,000 a year in the city.
• Expecting need-based aid at public universities. CUNY and SUNY offer international students almost none.
• Overlooking need-aware policies. At Columbia and Cornell, asking for aid affects admission, and you cannot ask later.
• Applying to an art school without a portfolio. Parsons, Pratt and Tisch judge your work first.

FAQ

Sources

• IIE Open Doors — Fast Facts 2025 and leading institutions 2024/25 — checked 24 September 2026
• Times Higher Education — World University Rankings 2026 — checked 24 September 2026
• NCES College Navigator (fall 2024 admit rates: Columbia, NYU, Fordham, The New School, Baruch) and Cornell Common Data Set 2025–26 — checked 24 September 2026
• Columbia: cost 2026/27, international aid, testing, deadlines and fee, international applicants — checked 24 September 2026
• Cornell: cost 2026/27, international aid, first-year requirements — checked 24 September 2026
• NYU cost of attendance 2026/27, CUNY tuition and budgets, Pace, Manhattan University costs and scholarships, Iona, LIU — checked 24 September 2026

All amounts are in U.S. dollars as published by the institutions.

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