Cornell vs Northwestern
What each college publishes, side by side. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt come from federal data.
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%A+Compass Score: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.Northwestern UniversityEvanston, ILCompass Score: Exceptional · Top 2%
At a glance
- Median earnings ten years after entry are higher at Cornell: $104,043, against $89,363 at Northwestern.
Scores
Compass Score
A+Compass Score: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 2%
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 2%
A+Academic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 1%
Value
B+Value: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 22%
B+Value: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 27%
The college
Category
National universities
National universities
Location
Ithaca, NY
Evanston, IL
Setting
City
City
Students
26,264
23,203
Sports
NCAA Division I · Ivy Group
NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference
Admission
Admission rate
9%
8%
Average SAT
1535
1533
ACT middle 50%
33–35
33–35
Outcomes
Graduation rate
95%
95%
First-year retention
98%
98%
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$104,043
$89,363
Median debt
$14,000
$15,000
Cost
Average price after aid
$28,690
$29,167
Price after aid, by family income
Up to $30,000
$1,776
$1,764
$30,001–$48,000
$4,070
$6,099
$48,001–$75,000
$6,796
$7,898
$75,001–$110,000
$14,311
$18,282
Over $110,000
$49,992
$48,777
Top majors by graduate earnings
Bachelor's majors
- Computer science $223,309
- Operations Research $151,709
- Electrical engineering $147,241
- Agricultural business $145,218
- Computing and information science $144,389
- Information science $163,740
- Computer science $155,106
- Applied mathematics $148,740
- Industrial Engineering $138,720
- Economics $126,006
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.