Top 9 New York University’s Notable Alumni

New York University (NYU) | Overview

Established in 1831, New York University has been a leader in higher education, embracing a professional focus and urban identity. It reaches out to an expanding middle class and promotes a global vision that guides its 20 schools and colleges. This pioneering attitude has made NYU one of the world’s most prestigious and admired research universities, with top-ranked academic programs and a low undergraduate acceptance rate. It has campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai where students can study abroad. NYU is a leader in global education, enrolling more international students and sending students overseas than any other US university. Let’s learn more about NYU notable alumni.

More than 500,000 students from the United States and 183 other countries have graduated from NYU, and its alumni are active in practically every field globally. New York University’s notable alumni include heads of state, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, inventors, aristocracy, well-known scientists, entrepreneurs, media personalities, and astronauts.

9 Notable Alumni of New York University

List of Notable NYU Alumni of New York University

Ursula Burns

Chris Joseph Columbus

Alec Baldwin

Rudolph William Giuliani

Tom Freston

Angelina Jolie

Daniel Schulman

Lady Gaga

Anne Hathaway

Ursula Burns

She is a business executive from the United States who served as the CEO (2009-16) and chairwoman (2010-17) of the Xerox organization. It is an international document management and business services organization. Burns grew up in a low-income housing community on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. She excelled in mathematics and graduated with honors from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in Brooklyn in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Beginning her master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Columbia University the same year, she interned with Xerox as a summer mechanical engineer in the company’s graduate engineering program for minorities, which paid for some of her studies.

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Ursula Burns is the first African American woman to run a Fortune 500 business and the first woman to succeed another woman in that position.

Chris Joseph Columbus

Chris is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his two-part Home Alone (1984) film trilogy. Before becoming a screenwriter for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, he attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. While at Amblin Entertainment (1985), Columbus wrote for films such as Gremlins. 

He later directed films such as Adventures in Babysitting, Mrs. Doubtfire, Nine Months, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and Pixels.

Also, Read: Top 10 Stanford University Notable Alumni You Need to Know

Alec Baldwin

Alec graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1993 before becoming Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock. The actor received two Emmys, three Golden Globes, and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards. Furthermore, he recently gained a lot of notice for impersonating Donald Trump. 

Rudolph William Giuliani 

He is a former mayor of New York City who served from 1994 to 2001. He received quite the recognition for handling the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Giuliani pursued his education at Manhattan College (A.B., 1965) and New York University (J.D., 1968). Named US Attorney for the Southern District of New York in 1983, Rudolph became New York City’s first Republican mayor in 1994.

Re-elected in 1997 and lauded for enhancing the quality of life, reducing crime, and growing commerce, Rudolph made quite the impression. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Giuliani received praise for his effective city leadership during the crisis and was one of the famous NYU alumni.

Tom Freston

MTV, co-founded by Tom Freston, ranked one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He became CEO of MTV Networks after leading the marketing team there for six years.

Following that, he served as CEO of Viacom. He is now the principal of Firefly3, an investing and consulting firm. He’s also interested in philanthropy, serving as the Board Chairman of the ONE Campaign alongside star-studded board directors such as Bono to address severe poverty challenges.

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Angelina Jolie

She graduated from Tisch in 1993 and appeared in the films Maleficent, Changeling, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Jolie has earned the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and an honorary damehood of the Order of St Michael and St George for her humanitarian work. Angelina has won an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards and has been voted Hollywood’s highest-paid actress several times.

Daniel Schulman 

He has a net worth of around $230 million as the former president of enterprise growth at American Express and the current president and CEO of PayPal. 

For this NYU Stern alumnus, it’s not all about the money. During his tenure as CEO of Virgin Mobile, he collaborated with the non-profit StandUp For Kids, which helps homeless adolescents. Daniel even posed as a homeless man on the streets to understand better what it’s like to be homeless. They recognized his efforts when Virgin Mobile received an award for improving the lives of the young and homeless.

Lady Gaga

She is a songwriter, singer, and actor from the USA. Her unconventionality, controversial creativity, and aesthetic experimentation have earned her a reputation. As a teenager, Gaga began performing by singing at open mic nights and appearing in school plays. She attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Collaborative Arts Project 21 before leaving to pursue a music career.  

Her accomplishments include several Guinness World Records, nine Grammy Awards, and honors from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Billboard named Lady Gaga Woman of the Year and Artist of the Year. She also ranks in Forbes’ power and earnings lists. 

VH1’s named her fourth on the list of the Greatest Women in Music in 2012 and second on Time’s list of the most influential persons over the last ten years in 2011. She is well known for her charity and social activism, particularly her work on LGBT rights. Her nonprofit organization, Born This Way Foundation, focuses on empowering youngsters and combating bullying.

Anne Hathaway

Who knew everyone’s favorite The Princess Diaries actress went to NYU? She attended the Gallatin School of Individual Study and the Tisch School of the Arts. Her most well-known films include The Dark Knight Rises, Les Miserables, and, most recently, Oceans 8. She is happy to be a New York University alumna!

Key Takeaways

• Studying at New York University will make you part of a community that has won several prestigious awards.
• NYU boasts one of the university’s most diverse international student populations. This, combined with the vast student body, provides ample opportunities to meet people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe.
• The university has over  500,000 alumni from the United States and 183 international countries. 
• You can be a part of 20 colleges and schools at the university. You have a plethora of things to explore and be a part of.
• You will be a part of a university that graduated Alec Baldwin, Anne Hathaway, Lady Gaga, Ursula Burns, and many more.

NYU, now one of the largest private colleges in the United States, educates over 65,000 students and conducts $1 billion in research annually.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re interested in studying abroad and want information on New York University notable alumni and international universities.

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FAQs

Q1. Is it challenging to get into NYU?

Answer- NYU admissions are highly selective, with a 21% acceptance rate. Students admitted to NYU have an average SAT score of 1370-1540 or an ACT score of 31-34.

Q2. Why have so many celebrities attended NYU?

Answer- The prestigious Tisch School of the Arts deserves much credit. Furthermore, the Big Apple is a center for acting, musical theatre, cultural scene, and so on. It’s no surprise that NYU is a breeding ground for brilliance.

Q3. Who are some of New York University School of Law’s notable alumni?

Answer- Some of New York University School of Law’s notable alumni include Amal Clooney, John F. Kennedy Jr., Demetri Martin, and Mohamed ElBaradei.