# Cornell University

Private nonprofit college in Ithaca, NY. IPEDS ID 190415.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/cornell-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/cornell-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 9% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $28,690 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 95%; beats 99% of NY colleges and 98% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $104,043; beats 98% of NY colleges and 99% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $1,776 |
| 30-48k | $4,070 |
| 48-75k | $6,796 |
| 75-110k | $14,311 |
| 110k+ | $49,992 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.1 years on average (87% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $104,043 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $1,776 | $7,282 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $4,070 | $16,687 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $6,796 | $27,864 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $14,311 | $58,675 | under 1 year |
| 110k+ | $49,992 | $204,967 | 3.0 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $88,140
- Tuition and fees: $69,314
- Housing and meals: $18,554; books: $1,354

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 730–770; SAT math: 770–800; ACT: 33–35 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 65,635 applicants, 5,358 admitted, 3,537 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 9%, ACT 33–35 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 8%, ACT 33–35 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: rigor, essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, talent, character; important: class rank, gpa; considered: test scores, interview, first generation, alumni relation, geography, state residency, volunteer, work experience
- Early decision: not reported; early action: not reported; waitlist: yes (254 admitted of 6598 who accepted a spot)
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 100% of need met; 1744 of 1744 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: ? students, average not reported
- Source: https://irp.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/CDS-Cornell-2025-2026-v2.xlsx

## Majors (79 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $152,656 | $223,309 | $14,698 |
| Operations Research | $96,377 | $151,709 | $15,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $100,516 | $147,241 | $14,750 |
| Agricultural Business | $92,163 | $145,218 | $13,258 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $103,650 | $144,389 | $15,500 |
| Economics | $84,967 | $137,935 | $15,500 |
| Mathematics | $87,251 | $134,455 | $14,146 |
| Engineering | not reported | $128,207 | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | $77,906 | $126,767 | $15,750 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | $78,358 | $124,242 | $16,099 |
| Physics | $50,933 | $118,649 | $15,961 |
| Chemical Engineering | $85,578 | $116,165 | $14,361 |
| Human Resources | $73,436 | $112,713 | $15,000 |
| Hospitality Management | $77,803 | $112,289 | $13,987 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,440 | $112,212 | $15,500 |
| Statistics | $82,531 | $111,090 | not reported |
| Environmental Engineering | $69,558 | $103,016 | $13,102 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $54,435 | $99,600 | $15,502 |
| Area Studies | $43,831 | $96,976 | $17,625 |
| Political Science | $60,292 | $95,391 | $14,400 |
| Apparel and Textiles | not reported | $94,967 | not reported |
| Civil Engineering | $80,261 | $91,242 | $12,750 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $33,419 | $89,275 | $15,500 |
| Communications | $62,182 | $88,463 | $14,418 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | $38,841 | $85,883 | $13,465 |
| Food Science and Technology | $64,062 | $84,147 | $15,750 |
| History | $44,706 | $82,031 | $16,884 |
| Chemistry | $28,372 | $79,311 | $15,121 |
| Psychology | $36,630 | $78,049 | $14,157 |
| Sociology | $36,709 | $73,200 | $11,900 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $38,401 | $73,066 | $15,500 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $50,428 | $71,914 | $17,315 |
| Biology | $34,500 | $69,083 | $16,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $41,621 | $68,088 | $16,500 |
| Agriculture | $53,465 | $67,954 | $15,599 |
| English | $33,270 | $65,089 | $16,275 |
| Nutrition Science | $30,508 | $60,728 | $13,750 |
| Plant Sciences | $32,236 | $58,960 | $15,990 |
| Animal Sciences | $36,204 | $52,967 | $14,100 |
| Studio Art | $31,073 | $41,784 | $17,153 |
| International Agriculture | not reported | not reported | $11,550 |
| Architecture | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | $37,131 | not reported | $14,275 |
| Environmental Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Landscape Architecture | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | $61,397 | not reported | $15,500 |
| Engineering Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Materials Engineering | not reported | not reported | $18,000 |
| Biological / Biosystems Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | $15,500 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $46,072 | not reported | not reported |
| Zoology / Animal Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Science, Technology and Society | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Archeology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | $44,516 | not reported | $12,133 |

## Major to career
- Computer Science → Software developer: median wage $122,730 (Ithaca, NY), $166,180 (NY), $135,980 (U.S.)
- Human Resources → HR specialist: median wage $75,270 (Ithaca, NY), $84,380 (NY), $75,940 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

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