Is UCLA or NYU more expensive overall for undergraduates?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that UCLA can be much cheaper for California residents, while NYU is often the pricier option because its tuition is high and living costs in New York City add up quickly. For undergraduates, NYU usually ends up more expensive overall in published cost of attendance, especially once housing, meals, and personal expenses are included. UCLA’s cost can look very different depending on residency, since in-state students benefit from lower tuition than out-of-state students.

If you need financial aid, the answer is still usually NYU being more expensive on paper, but your actual net price depends on the aid package. UCLA is a public university, so its tuition structure strongly favors California residents. For out-of-state students, UCLA becomes much more expensive than it is for residents, which can narrow the gap with NYU.

Housing is also an important difference. NYU housing and day-to-day costs in Manhattan or Brooklyn are typically very high, and even students who move off campus often still face expensive rent and food costs. UCLA’s Los Angeles location is not cheap either, but total living expenses are often somewhat lower than NYU’s, especially compared with central New York City costs.

So in most cases, NYU is the more expensive undergraduate option overall. The main exception is when a student is comparing NYU with UCLA as an out-of-state applicant who receives a much better aid package from NYU than from UCLA. For a California resident, UCLA is very often the less expensive choice by a noticeable margin.