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Cornell College

Cornell College is based in the town of Mount Vernon, IA — a private campus in a small-town setting. The school reports a United Methodist affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$18,285

family income
under $30k

$17,873

$30–48k

$22,174

$48–75k

$26,134

$75–110k

$30,897

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$23,6342023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Cornell College rose from $17,375 (2008) to $23,634 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$17,375
2009	$17,131
2010	$16,408
2011	$18,237
2012	$18,783
2013	$20,732
2014	$24,559
2015	$26,617
2016	$24,433
2017	$27,204
2018	$26,901
2019	$23,694
2020	$21,543
2021	$24,164
2022	$25,079
2023	$23,634

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$66,2492024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Cornell College rose from $37,260 (2009) to $66,249 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$37,260
2010	$41,120
2011	$42,820
2012	$44,035
2013	$46,135
2014	$48,905
2015	$50,804
2016	$52,159
2017	$53,955
2018	$55,817
2019	$58,286
2020	$58,201
2021	$60,359
2022	$62,571
2023	$64,336
2024	$66,249

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$19,570
2001	$20,250
2002	$20,795
2003	$20,630
2004	$22,490
2005	$23,680
2006	$24,800
2007	$26,280
2008	$27,850
2013	$36,430
2014	$37,500
2015	$38,700
2016	$39,900
2017	$40,880
2018	$42,299
2019	$43,976
2020	$45,914
2021	$47,726
2022	$49,158
2023	$50,634

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Cornell College reports published tuition of $52,660 in this record. Cornell College's $52,660 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Cornell College reports 1,086 undergraduates. This count does not measure class size or advising access.

61.8% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Cornell College within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

61.8%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Cornell College has wandered from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts — up to 75.8% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 61.8%.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	60%
1992 cohort	58.6%
1993 cohort	57.8%
1994 cohort	54.6%
1995 cohort	62.5%
1996 cohort	54.3%
1997 cohort	67.5%
1998 cohort	64.9%
1999 cohort	67.2%
2000 cohort	65.8%
2001 cohort	63.9%
2002 cohort	71.8%
2003 cohort	71%
2004 cohort	66.4%
2005 cohort	69.9%
2006 cohort	70.9%
2007 cohort	67.7%
2008 cohort	65.7%
2009 cohort	68.1%
2010 cohort	67.9%
2011 cohort	71%
2012 cohort	75.8%
2013 cohort	68.9%
2014 cohort	67.4%
2015 cohort	63.8%
2016 cohort	63.4%
2017 cohort	71.7%
2018 cohort	61.8%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$17,125	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$17,125	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$17,125	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$17,125	$2,751
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$17,125	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$17,125	$2,688
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$17,125	$2,750
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$17,125	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$17,125	$4,425
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$4,500
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,125	$6,750
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$22,125	$7,000
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$25,000	$6,925
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$27,000	$6,721
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$27,000	$7,921
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$27,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$27,000	$6,769
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$27,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$27,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$27,000	$7,403
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$27,000	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$27,000	$8,250

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$39,299

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$49,843

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$53,460

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Cornell College admitted 2,015 of 2,522 applicants in Fall 2024. The 79.9% rate describes that application pool.

79.9%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $50,634 tuition · 2023–24 1,086 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1120–12851600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Cornell College reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Cornell College’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 575–655 and Math was 545–630 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1120–1285 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	575	610	655
SAT Math	545	590	630
ACT Composite	23	26	30

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Cornell College received 2,522 applications and admitted 2,015 (79.9%), with 288 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

79.9%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	69.9%
Fall 2002	62.1%
Fall 2003	68.6%
Fall 2004	64.2%
Fall 2005	66.3%
Fall 2006	62.5%
Fall 2007	45.5%
Fall 2008	43.6%
Fall 2009	43.6%
Fall 2010	42.9%
Fall 2011	45.5%
Fall 2012	52.9%
Fall 2013	64.1%
Fall 2014	73.6%
Fall 2015	70.5%
Fall 2016	70.9%
Fall 2017	65%
Fall 2018	61%
Fall 2019	61.8%
Fall 2020	82.4%
Fall 2021	81.1%
Fall 2022	79.3%
Fall 2023	80.7%
Fall 2024	79.9%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1120–1285Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	1000	1260
Fall 2003	1090	1330
Fall 2004	1130	1330
Fall 2005	1110	1360
Fall 2006	1100	1340
Fall 2007	1070	1330
Fall 2008	1120	1320
Fall 2009	1120	1320
Fall 2010	1080	1360
Fall 2011	1080	1360
Fall 2012	1070	1380
Fall 2013	1030	1320
Fall 2014	1040	1330
Fall 2015	1010	1300
Fall 2016	970	1275
Fall 2017	1100	1340
Fall 2018	1080	1320
Fall 2019	1100	1345
Fall 2020	1068	1280
Fall 2021	1155	1405
Fall 2022	1170	1380
Fall 2023	1150	1318
Fall 2024	1120	1285

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

23–30Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	22	27
Fall 2002	23	28
Fall 2003	23	29
Fall 2004	23	28
Fall 2005	23	29
Fall 2006	23	30
Fall 2007	24	29
Fall 2008	24	29
Fall 2009	24	29
Fall 2010	24	30
Fall 2011	23	29
Fall 2012	24	30
Fall 2013	23	29
Fall 2014	23	30
Fall 2015	23	29
Fall 2016	23	29
Fall 2017	23	29
Fall 2018	23	30
Fall 2019	23	29
Fall 2020	23	29
Fall 2021	24	30
Fall 2022	23	30
Fall 2023	23	30
Fall 2024	23	30

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,086Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Cornell College rose from 983 (Fall 2002) to 1,086 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	983
Fall 2003	1,101
Fall 2004	1,143
Fall 2005	1,179
Fall 2006	1,115
Fall 2007	1,075
Fall 2008	1,103
Fall 2009	1,121
Fall 2010	1,183
Fall 2011	1,190
Fall 2012	1,174
Fall 2013	1,122
Fall 2014	1,082
Fall 2015	1,035
Fall 2016	974
Fall 2017	1,004
Fall 2018	1,022
Fall 2019	1,017
Fall 2020	996
Fall 2021	1,045
Fall 2022	1,058
Fall 2023	1,074
Fall 2024	1,086

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

80%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Cornell College has held near 80% from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	81%
Fall 2003 cohort	82%
Fall 2004 cohort	79%
Fall 2005 cohort	85%
Fall 2006 cohort	84%
Fall 2007 cohort	87%
Fall 2008 cohort	79%
Fall 2009 cohort	81%
Fall 2010 cohort	79%
Fall 2011 cohort	84%
Fall 2012 cohort	83%
Fall 2013 cohort	83%
Fall 2014 cohort	82%
Fall 2015 cohort	78%
Fall 2016 cohort	81%
Fall 2017 cohort	82%
Fall 2018 cohort	76%
Fall 2019 cohort	74%
Fall 2020 cohort	78%
Fall 2021 cohort	80%
Fall 2022 cohort	74%
Fall 2023 cohort	80%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Cornell College

Faculty pay at Cornell College averages $95,112 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Cornell College as a primarily residential campus of 1,086 undergraduates — and 79.5% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Cornell College's SAT section-percentile sums are 1120–1285 — their midpoint is above the IA four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Cornell College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Cornell College compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Cornell College79.9%

Iowa median80.1%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Cornell College$52,660

Iowa median$36,684

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Cornell College's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Cornell College$53,460

Iowa median$55,396

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Cornell College, Iowa and national reference values
Metric & basis	Cornell College	Iowa median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	79.9%	80.1%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$52,660	$36,684	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$53,460	$55,396	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Cornell College, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Cornell College federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 5 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Computer Science	$84,938
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	$64,510
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$59,195
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$47,762
Fine and Studio Arts	$38,299

These 5 fields listed for Cornell College measure earnings after completion. The $53,460 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 43 additional Cornell College fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Cornell College report?

Cornell College's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1120–1285 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Cornell College's acceptance rate?

79.9% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 2,015 admitted from 2,522 applicants.

How much does Cornell College cost?

At Cornell College, tuition is $52,660. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Cornell College report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $53,460. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Iowa

Coe College — 64% admitted
Clarke University — 71.8% admitted
Dordt University — 68.5% admitted
Drake University — 63.9% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.