The following are characters in film, television, literature, and other media that have a connection to the university:
| Name | Portrayal | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Daisy | played by Samantha Mathis | Paleontology student in Super Mario Bros. | |
| Isabel | played by Julia Roberts | in Stepmom (1998 film) | [5] |
| Darin, Kramer's intern | played by Jarrad Paul | in Seinfeld TV series | |
| James Dalton | played by Patrick Swayze | "The Cooler" at The Double Deuce in Road House | |
| Ross Geller, professor of paleontology | played by David Schwimmer | in the TV show Friends | |
| Bud Fox | played by Charlie Sheen | main character in Wall Street | |
| Charlie | played by Charlie Sheen | in TV show Spin City | |
| Paul Finch | played by Eddie Kaye Thomas | in the American Pie films | |
| Victor Ward | in Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis | ||
| Denise Fleming | played by Lauren Ambrose | in the film Can't Hardly Wait | |
| Tom Collins | originated by Jesse L. Martin | NYU professor in the musical Rent | |
| Fritz the Cat | voiced by Skip Hinnant | in the film directed by Ralph Bakshi | |
| Theo Huxtable | played by Malcolm-Jamal Warner | in The Cosby Show | |
| Dr. Guy Luthan | played by Hugh Grant | in Extreme Measures (NYU Med Student) | |
| Jack Campbell | played by Nicolas Cage | in The Family Man | |
| Alvy Singer | played Woody Allen | in Annie Hall | |
| Dalton | played by Patrick Swayze | in Road House graduated from NYU with a degree in philosophy | |
| Alex Foreman | played by Scarlett Johansson | in In Good Company (2004) | |
| Dr. Roy Tam | played by Sab Shimono | is an NYU science professor in The Shadow (1994) | |
| Céline | played by Julie Delpy | attended NYU between Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004) | |
| Will Truman | played by Eric McCormack | in Will and Grace | |
| Blair Waldorf | played by Leighton Meester | in Gossip Girl | |
| Dan Humphrey | played by Penn Badgley | in Gossip Girl | |
| Vanessa Abrams | played by Jessica Szohr | in Gossip Girl | |
| Georgina Sparks | played by Michelle Trachtenberg | in Gossip Girl | |
| Olivia Burke | played by Hilary Duff | in Gossip Girl | |
| Em Lewin | played by Kristen Stewart | in Adventureland | |
| Tyler Hawkins | played by Robert Pattinson | in Remember Me | |
| Ally Craig | played by Emilie De Ravin | in Remember Me | |
| Robert "Moose" Alexander III | played by Adam G. Sevani | in Step Up 3D | |
| Camille Gage | played by Alyson Stoner | in Step Up 3D | |
| Topanga Lawrence | played by Danielle Fishel | in Boy Meets World ends up with a scholarship to NYU Law in Season 7 | |
| Shoshanna Shapiro | played by Zosia Mamet | in Girls | |
| Grace | played by Selena Gomez | in Monte Carlo | |
| Naomi | played by Victoria Justice | in Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List | |
| Ely | played by Pierson Fodé | in Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List | |
| Ravi | the unseen intern in Oh, Hello on Broadway | ||
| Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson | played by Saoirse Ronan | in Lady Bird. Ronan was nominated for Best Actress at the 90th Academy Awards, for this role. | |
| Jordan Kersey | played by Camila Morrone | in Death Wish. | [9] |
| Hope Shlottman | played by Erin Moriarty (actress) | NYU student and track star in Jessica Jones (TV series) | |
| Harvey Reginald Specter | played by Gabriel Macht | in Suits (U.S. TV series) | |
| Rachel Chu | played by Constance Wu | NYU economics professor in novel and film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians | |
| Nick Young | played by Henry Golding (actor) | NYU history professor in novel and film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians | |
| Mr. Antolini | NYU Professor in The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger | ||
| Payton Hobart | played by Ben Platt (actor) | NYU student in The Politician (TV series) | |
| Bill Gambini | played by Ralph Macchio (actor) | NYU student in My Cousin Vinny |
