MJ Knoll-Finn

Senior Vice President for Global Enrollment Management and Student Services, New York University

Dr. MJ Knoll-Finn is the Senior Vice President for Global Enrollment Management and Student Success at NYU, where she leads institution-wide strategies that have delivered measurable, high-impact outcomes across enrollment, access, and student success. Under her leadership, NYU has eliminated average unmet financial need for aid recipients, launched the $270 million NYU Promise, and seen application volume triple over two decades while increasing academic quality.

Her data-informed approach has contributed to record-high first-year retention (approaching 97%) and a six-year graduation rate of 88%, both continuing to rise. She has led the design of global entry pathways, expanded first-year programs, and championed initiatives such as the Student Success Leadership Collaborative and the Student Journey Mapping project, ensuring student experience remains central to institutional strategy.

Knoll-Finn’s leadership has helped elevate NYU’s national and global reputation — contributing to its designation as a “Top 10 Dream School” and solidifying its status as a leading research university.

A proud NYU alumna with a doctorate from the university, she is also the parent of two NYU students. She joined NYU in 2014, appointed by President Linda G. Mills to serve as a senior member of the university’s leadership team.