Cornell University

Cornell University is a private, nonprofit school in a small town setting in Ithaca, New York. Cornell was founded in 1865 and now enrolls around 24,027 students a year, including 15,043 undergrads. Cornell provides on-campus housing for students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing.

There are many ways for students to get involved at Cornell! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of Cornell's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Cornell students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? Cornell has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Cornell has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Cornell on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at Cornell on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! January 2, 2022 is the final deadline to submit an application for Fall.

Is Cornell a Good School?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how competitive an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Let's take a closer look at to get a clearer sense of what Cornell offers and if it might be a good choice for you.

Cornell Acceptance Rate 2021

It is extremely difficult to get into Cornell. The acceptance rate at Cornell is 11%. In 2021, just 5,330 out of the 49,114 students who applied were accepted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Cornell

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Cornell, around 97% are still enrolled the next year. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes for Cornell Grads

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Within six months of graduating, 65% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Recent Cornell grads have an average starting salary of $66,953 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.

Cornell's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. Cornell's endowment was valued at $681.5 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Cornell

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. Cornell meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $52,017 a year.

In 2020, students graduated with an average of $32,372 in student loans for each student with debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA early. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Cornell. Based on this information, how does Cornell sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Cornell a good school for you?

If Cornell University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Exploring Schools?

To learn more about Cornell, choose from the options below:

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Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting into some of the most popular schools in the U.S.

Where is Cornell University Located?

Cornell is located in the small town setting of Ithaca, New York, less than an hour from Syracuse.

If you want to see Cornell for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Highway 13 to Ithaca, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Syracuse Hancock International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Cornell and Ithaca are like without leaving home.

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