Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private Nonprofit

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8.2%
Acceptance Rate
1520
Median SAT
$104,043
Median Earnings
65,635
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Down 2.4 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Computer Science $122,485
$16,169 $160,116
Electrical, Electronics and Co... $92,277
$16,169 $160,116
Mathematics $91,211
$16,169 $160,116
Operations Research $85,538
$16,169 $160,116
Chemical Engineering $83,351
$16,169 $160,116
Computer and Information Scien... $82,641
$16,169 $160,116
Agricultural Business and Mana... $80,747
$16,169 $160,116
Mechanical Engineering $74,687
$16,169 $160,116
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 65,635 5,358 8.2% 66.0%
2022 69,195 5,168 7.5% 67.5%
2021 67,380 5,852 8.7% 63.5%
2020 51,500 5,514 10.7% 58.9%
2019 49,114 5,330 10.8% 59.8%
2018 51,324 5,448 10.6% 60.5%
2017 47,039 5,962 12.7% 56.2%
2016 44,965 6,337 14.1% 52.3%
2015 41,900 6,315 15.1% 50.4%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$104,043
Median Earnings (6 years)
$87,830
Median Debt
$14,000
6-Year Graduation Rate
95.1%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

Tuition
$58,586
Fees
$696
Room & Board
$15,756
Total Cost of Attendance
$75,038

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $4,079
$30-48k income $5,589
$48-75k income $8,129
$75-110k income $18,531
$110k+ income $51,735

Popular Majors

  • 1 Computer Science
  • 2 Hospitality Administration/Management
  • 3 Human Resources Management and Services
  • 4 Agricultural Business and Management
  • 5 Biology, General

Highest Earning Majors

  • Computer Science $122,485
  • Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering $92,277
  • Mathematics $91,211
  • Operations Research $85,538
  • Chemical Engineering $83,351

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 26,264
International 26%
Women 53%
Race/Ethnicity
White 29%
Asian 19%
Hispanic 11%
Black 6%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 50%
Avg: $56,472 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 18%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 24%
Avg: $4,872
School's Own Grants 49%
Avg: $55,091 from school funds