National university
#17 Best test-optional colleges in AmericaCornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $28,690 a year
Median debt at graduation: $14,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- SC Johnson College of Business Resources PanelOctober 21, 2026 · 7:00 PM · VirtualMore about SC Johnson College of Business Resources PanelAdd to calendar
- International Admissions Information SessionOctober 22, 2026 · 8:00 AM · VirtualMore about International Admissions Information SessionAdd to calendar
- SC Johnson College of Business Transfer Information SessionOctober 22, 2026 · 6:00 PM · VirtualMore about SC Johnson College of Business Transfer Information SessionAdd to calendar
- College of Arts & Sciences Information SessionOctober 22, 2026 · 7:00 PM · VirtualMore about College of Arts & Sciences Information SessionAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events (7 more) · From the college's admissions website.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best large colleges in America#1 of 256
- Best colleges for education in America#8 of 1,318
- Best colleges for business in America#10 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#9 of 1,238
- Best test-optional colleges in America#17 of 1,481
- Best colleges in America#21 of 1,829
Show 25 more
- Best colleges for psychology in America#17 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#18 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#16 of 1,187
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#28 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#20 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#20 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#20 of 1,215
- Best colleges for music in America#18 of 1,063
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#20 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#20 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#15 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#17 of 749
- Best colleges for economics in America#20 of 788
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#11 of 367
- Most selective colleges in America#24 of 683
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#26 of 693
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#32 of 690
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#33 of 682
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#40 of 684
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#49 of 598
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#59 of 704
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#35 of 239
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#105 of 704
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
- Best value colleges in America#126 of 674
In New York
- Best test-optional colleges in New York#1 of 125
- Best colleges for art and design in New York#1 of 85
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in New York#1 of 82
- Best colleges for education in New York#1 of 78
- Best colleges in New York#2 of 135
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in New York#2 of 135
Show 25 more
- Best colleges for music in New York#1 of 59
- Best colleges for business in New York#2 of 109
- Best colleges for psychology in New York#2 of 96
- Best colleges for computer science in New York#1 of 46
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in New York#2 of 88
- Best colleges for history in New York#2 of 82
- Best colleges for English in New York#2 of 81
- Best colleges for mathematics in New York#2 of 81
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in New York#2 of 80
- Most selective colleges in New York#2 of 79
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in New York#2 of 77
- Best colleges for chemistry in New York#2 of 76
- Best colleges for economics in New York#2 of 73
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in New York#3 of 79
- Best colleges for engineering in New York#2 of 41
- Best large colleges in New York#1 of 19
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in New York#6 of 79
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in New York#2 of 23
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in New York#8 of 80
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in New York#8 of 75
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in New York#9 of 67
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in New York#11 of 77
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in New York#13 of 80
- Best value colleges in New York#14 of 75
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in New York#14 of 75
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.95%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.98%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,535 · ACT 34
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$33,431
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $88,140 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 16,051 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 45% · Women 55% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 15% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 63% |
| Total students | 26,264 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $28,690 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $88,140 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $14,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 95% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 91% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 90% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 87% |
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $104,043 |
| Admission rate | 9% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $80 |
| Early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 1 |
| Regular decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 2 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,466 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 18% |
| Average SAT | 1535 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 730–770 |
| SAT math | 770–800 |
| ACT composite | 33–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 22% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Operations Research | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Economics | |
| Mathematics | |
| Engineering (general) | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | |
| Physics | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Human resources | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Statistics | |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | |
| Agricultural Engineering | |
| Area studies | |
| Political science | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Romance languages | |
| Communication studies | |
| Other biological and biomedical sciences | |
| Food Science and Technology | |
| History | |
| Chemistry | |
| Psychology | |
| Sociology | |
| Family and human development | |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | |
| Biology | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Agriculture | |
| English | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| Plant Sciences | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Archeology, Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation, Architecture, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Biological and physical sciences, Biological/Biosystems Engineering, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning, Classics, Community Organization and Advocacy, Culinary arts, Dance, Education (general), Engineering Physics, Environmental Design, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Foods, Nutrition,, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, International Agriculture, Landscape Architecture, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Materials Engineering, Music, Other engineering, Other social sciences, Other visual and performing arts, Philosophy, Public health, Religious studies, Science, Technology and Society, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Theatre, Zoology/Animal Biology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Business | |
| Engineering | |
| Agriculture | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $19,428 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Ivy Group |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 9 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 26%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 93%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $371,853IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 55% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH)About 3 miles away · about 10 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)About 119 miles away |
| Town population | 32,814Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BuffaloAbout 125 miles away · about 3 hours 20 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 23°F in January · 69°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Ithaca Cornell University, NY |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.29 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.15 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.01 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Cornell University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 2% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Cornell University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $28,690 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Cornell University?
- Cornell University admitted 9% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Cornell University’s graduates do?
- 95% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $104,043; the median federal debt at graduation is $14,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 190415
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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