Boston vs Cornell
What each college publishes, side by side. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt come from federal data.
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.Boston UniversityBoston, MACompass Score: Exceptional · Top 4%A+Compass Score: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.Cornell UniversityIthaca, NYCompass Score: Exceptional · Top 2%
At a glance
- Cornell has the higher graduation rate: 95% against 89% at Boston.
- For families earning up to $30,000, Cornell has the lower price after aid: $1,776 a year, against $9,500 at Boston.
- Boston has the lower average price after aid: $24,402 a year, against $28,690 at Cornell.
Scores
Compass Score
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 4%
A+Compass Score: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 2%
Academic Excellence
A+Academic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 3%
A+Academic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 2%
Value
B+Value: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 32%
B+Value: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 22%
The college
Category
National universities
National universities
Location
Boston, MA
Ithaca, NY
Setting
City
City
Students
36,624
26,264
Sports
NCAA Division I · Patriot League
NCAA Division I · Ivy Group
Admission
Admission rate
11%
9%
Average SAT
1480
1535
ACT middle 50%
32–34
33–35
Outcomes
Graduation rate
89%
95%
First-year retention
95%
98%
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$83,238
$104,043
Median debt
$23,250
$14,000
Cost
Average price after aid
$24,402
$28,690
Price after aid, by family income
Up to $30,000
$9,500
$1,776
$30,001–$48,000
$9,342
$4,070
$48,001–$75,000
$11,778
$6,796
$75,001–$110,000
$22,517
$14,311
Over $110,000
$47,504
$49,992
Top majors by graduate earnings
Bachelor's majors
- Computer science $136,667
- Computer engineering $135,394
- Interdisciplinary studies $110,622
- Business administration $108,412
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering $99,024
- Computer science $223,309
- Operations Research $151,709
- Electrical engineering $147,241
- Agricultural business $145,218
- Computing and information science $144,389
Compare with another college
The Compass Score and grades are College Compass Guide’s own ratings. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt are federal data. This comparison doesn’t rank the two colleges; the figures are shown as published.