Cornell University
Cornell University is a private nonprofit university in Ithaca, NY, with about 25,842 students on campus.
The short version on Cornell University
Nearly everyone who starts here finishes
95% of students graduate within six years, more than at 98% of 4-year colleges. 98% of first-year students come back for a second year. Outcomes ↓
Cornell University admits a smaller share of applicants than almost any college
It admits 9% of applicants, about 1 in 11. The middle half of admitted students scored 1500–1570 on the SAT. Getting in ↓
Cornell University is nearly free for lower-income families
Families earning under $30,000 pay about $1,776 a year after grants. Families earning $48,000–75,000 pay about $6,796, and those over $110,000 pay about $49,992. What it costs ↓
Students are a big part of Ithaca
More than half of Ithaca’s 33,632 residents are enrolled in college (52%). Living in Ithaca ↓
Few families pay the sticker price
The full cost of a year is $88,140, but the average family on federal aid pays $28,690 after grants, about 67% less. What it costs ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; earnings, debt and repayment are reported for the whole 2-campus system.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting (whole college system)
$148 a month against about $7,319 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, whole college system
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 99% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment (whole college system)
How hard is it to get into Cornell University?
of applicants admitted
About 2 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1535.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $88,140 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $28,690.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $27,184 over 4 years · 92% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported); reported for the whole college system.
The students
15,995 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Ithaca
52% of Ithaca’s 33,632 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Ithaca pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Cornell University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid and are reported for the whole 2-campus system. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.