Skip to Main Content
upsand / CC BY
College

Cornell University

#7 in Best Colleges for Business in America
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Ithaca, NY
  • 1,793 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A+
  2. Value
    A+
  3. Diversity
    A+
  4. Campus
    A-
  5. Athletics
    B+
  6. Party Scene
    A
  7. Professors
    A+
  8. Location
    B-
  9. Dorms
    C+
  10. Campus Food
    A+
  11. Student Life
    A
  12. Safety
    B
View Full Report Card
Cornell is a highly rated private university located in Ithaca, New York. It is a large institution with an enrollment of 14,556 undergraduate students. Admissions is extremely competitive as the Cornell acceptance rate is 14%. Popular majors include Biology, Computer Science, and Business. Graduating 94% of students, Cornell alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $60,000.
About Cornell University...
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FCS
Athletic Conference
Ivy League
Address
300 Day Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Website
cornell.edu
Work Here? Claim Your College

Cornell University Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
14%
Application Deadline
January 2
SAT Range
1330-1530
ACT Range
31-34
Application Fee
$80
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes

Test Prep

SAT and ACT Prep Options
Learn More
  • Score higher—guaranteed, or your money back
  • A team of teachers ready to answer your questions

Cost

Net Price
$30,014/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $16,751/ year
  • $30-48k
    $12,382/ year
  • $49-75k
    $15,456/ year
  • $76-110k
    $26,312/ year
  • $110k+
    $46,258/ year
Student Loan Options from Lenders
Learn More
  • Rates starting at 4.06% APR + 1% Cash Back
  • No application, origination or disbursement fees
Niche may be compensated by the third party lenders and others who place ads on the website. Niche is not a lender and does not endorse the products of these advertisers. Fees that Niche receives for ads do not affect the terms you may be offered by the lender you choose. There are many additional borrowing options available.

Academics

Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
9:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
82%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.119 responses
61%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.132 responses
34%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.131 responses
Do You Work at Cornell University? Claim Your College Today!
Claim your free account to keep your college's data up-to-date and get insights on user activity for your profile.

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Biology
    478 Graduates
  • Computer Science
    300 Graduates
  • Business
    265 Graduates
  • Hospitality and Tourism Management
    251 Graduates
  • Agricultural Business
    207 Graduates
  • Economics
    186 Graduates
  • Mechanical Engineering
    134 Graduates
  • Engineering
    124 Graduates
  • Political Science and Government
    122 Graduates
  • Animal Sciences and Husbandry
    96 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
14,556Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
1%
Pell Grant
15%
Varsity Athletes
8%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 76 responses
Report
  • Smart, hard working, and stressed
    55%
  • Work hard, play hard
    14%
  • Intelligent, but self absorbed
    9%
  • Smart & stressed
    7%
  • Stressed
    7%
  • Busy
    5%
  • Amazing
    1%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
99%
Poll
60%
of students say that Greek life is pretty big.146 responses
Poll
70%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.166 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 93 responses
Report
  • Any person, any study
    45%
  • Endless possibilities
    15%
  • Work hard, play hard
    12%
  • Legacies and Trust-fund babies
    10%
  • Work hard, play later
    10%
  • Bureaucratic and frustrating!
    4%
  • The game where everybody plays and nobody wins
    2%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$73,600/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
94%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
93%
National
83%
82%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.78 responses
Colleges like Cornell University
More

Cornell University Reviews

1,793 reviews
All Categories
I love the environment and community, and the hidden cafes and delis are a delight to find and sample. The slope, rivers, gorges, lakes, waterfalls, and trails are soothing when the semester gets hectic, and there's no shortage of available activities, clubs, events, and things to do on campus! The winter is harsh but its gorgeous to see, and the overall environment is very friendly.
Start Your Review of Cornell University
Rate It!
Cornell is a community of brilliant people with varied interests. I have met talented students in many different disciplines through the extracurricular activities available on campus.

The work at Cornell is difficult; however, the student body is very collaborative. Students work together late into the night to complete major projects, and at the end of a course the knowledge you gain prepares you well for the professional world.

Especially in the engineering program, there are many opportunities to be involved in student organizations that offer technical experience and hands-on work applicable to roles you might accept for an internship or full time job. While job-hunting can be competitive, career services on campus ensure every Cornell student is prepared well to interview with their dream company.

Overall Cornell is a great experience, despite the long winters. The vibrant social scene also makes it easy to forget that you are far from any major city.
Cornell University offers a campus life with all the bells and whistles - the impressive dining halls with it's own ice cream from Cornell Dairy, appealing gothic architecture, and a landscape echoing the paintings of the Hudson River School in an isolated Ithaca, New York. The academic offering is equally impressive and expansive as it offers the top education from architecture to agriculture, engineering to hotel administration. The education is practical and skill-based and students can easily take classes that peak his or her interest outside of his or her major, which is a great asset. The large student body, however, does make popular lecture classes feel impersonal due to the large class sizes which would be the opposite at a smaller liberal arts college. There is also a strong sense of conformity in student social life as the majority of the student body joins sororities and fraternities, which makes it difficult for more individual-minded students to make friends.