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Cornell University
With a 8.8% admission rate, no GPA makes Cornell University a safety. The numbers below tell you what the admitted few look like.
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Cornell University sits in Ithaca proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Science, where graduates median $223,309 four years out. 18.4% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 15,995 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 98.4% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1480 and 1560 — above the NY middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Cornell University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Cornell University received 65,635 applications and admitted 5,358 (8.2%), with 3,537 enrolling.
Scores help here but aren't the gate. If your SAT sits inside the 1480–1560 submitter range, sending it likely helps; below it, Cornell University's own policy says you can leave it out.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 720 | 740 | 770 |
| SAT Math | 760 | 780 | 790 |
| ACT Composite | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Cornell University compares
| Cornell University | New York median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 8.8% | 70.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $69,314 | $17,408 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $104,043 | $60,236 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Cornell University: $104,043 median at year ten, versus $60,236 across New York institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $69,314 regardless of where you're from. At Cornell University, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Cornell University is a big school: 15,995 undergraduates at last count.
95.4% of Cornell University students finish a bachelor's within six years — 40.5 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $69,314 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Cornell University
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | $223,309 |
| Operations Research | $151,709 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $147,241 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $145,218 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $144,389 |
| Economics | $137,935 |
| Mathematics | $134,455 |
| Engineering, General | $128,207 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $126,767 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | $124,242 |
| Physics | $118,649 |
| Chemical Engineering | $116,165 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $112,713 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $112,289 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $112,212 |
| Statistics | $111,090 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | $103,016 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $99,600 |
| Area Studies | $96,976 |
| Political Science and Government | $95,391 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $94,967 |
| Civil Engineering | $91,242 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $89,275 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $88,463 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | $85,883 |
| Food Science and Technology | $84,147 |
| History | $82,031 |
| Chemistry | $79,311 |
| Psychology, General | $78,049 |
| Sociology | $73,200 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $73,066 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $71,914 |
| Biology, General | $69,083 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $68,088 |
| Agriculture, General | $67,954 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $65,089 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $60,728 |
| Plant Sciences | $58,960 |
| Animal Sciences | $52,967 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $41,784 |
Median earnings for these 40 Cornell University programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $104,043 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 39 additional Cornell University programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Cornell University?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1480–1560 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 8.8% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Cornell University's acceptance rate?
8.2% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 5,358 admitted from 65,635 applicants.
How much does Cornell University cost?
At Cornell University, published tuition is $69,314 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Cornell University's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Cornell University graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $104,043 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in New York
- Columbia University in the City of New York — 4% admitted
- Colgate University — 13.9% admitted
- Circle in the Square Theatre School — 8% admitted
- Belanger School of Nursing — 0% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.