Cornell University
#1 Best Colleges in New York- Graduation Rate
- 95% A+
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $104,043 A+
- Top 1% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $28,690 F
- 67% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 9% A+
- Rejects about 91 of every 100 applicants
Bottom line: A B overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 22.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $22.3 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Colleges in New York.
Every $1 spent returns $22.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,442,682.
What The Data Says
-
A B overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 155% more than the national college median.
-
A 95% graduation rate — 67% above the national average.
-
Inventor rate in the top 9% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.
-
A top feeder school for 3 major employers.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 2.6%
- Top 9%
- Patents
- 664
- Linked to graduates
- World Rank
- #14
- Times Higher Education
- Employer Pipelines
- 3
- Top feeder programs
- Patent Citations
- 921
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 89/100
- Times Higher Education
Why Cornell University Matters
Cornell University is a private research university in Ithaca, NY ranked #14 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by exceptional admissions selectivity, a top-tier research enterprise, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network, and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 1% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R1 · Very High Research
- Enrollment
- 15,995
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Computer Science & IT, Engineering, Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical
Why students choose Cornell University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Highly selective — admits about 9% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1500–1570. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $28,690 a year after grants and scholarships — 67% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $104,043 ten years after enrolling — 155% above the typical college, against $14,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 12% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.82 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, is a fitting choice for students who are academically driven and eager for a deeply engaging campus experience. With an acceptance rate of just 9%, this school attracts some of the brightest minds, and it has a graduation rate of 95%. Students here dive into popular programs like Computer Science, Business, and Engineering, all of which are designed to prepare them for competitive fields.
After graduation, individuals from Cornell see impressive financial returns, with a median earning of about $104,043 after ten years. This level of income reflects the value of the education received and the strong career paths available to graduates. Although the cost of attendance can be significant, the financial aid landscape is supportive, especially for those who qualify for Pell Grants, which help about 18% of students.
The net price after aid stands at approximately $28,690, which is manageable considering the median debt of $14,000 that graduates carry. This financial framework means that most students can graduate with a reasonable amount of debt, allowing them to focus on their careers and aspirations rather than being weighed down by financial burdens. Those who thrive at Cornell are typically motivated, engaged, and ready to take advantage of the many resources and connections available to them.
Rankings
- #1 Best Colleges in New York
- #1 Best Bachelor's Programs in New York
- #1 Best Master's Programs in New York
- #1 Best Computer Science Colleges in New York
- #1 Best Psychology Colleges in New York
- #1 Best Biology Colleges in New York
- #1 Best Data Science Colleges in New York
- #1 Best Private University MBA Programs
Can I Get In?
How selective Cornell University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Cornell University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 9%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,535. The graduation rate is roughly 95%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Retention Rate
- 98%
- SAT Average
- 1535
- ACT Midpoint
- 34
- SAT Range
- 1500–1570
- ACT Range
- 33–35
- Full-Time Faculty
- 93%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $17,953
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 9:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.80
- First-Gen Students
- 15%
- Applicants
- 69,195
- Admitted
- 5,168
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Cornell University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Cornell University is $69,314, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $28,690. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $1,776 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $14,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $69,314
- Out-of-State
- $69,314
- Avg Net Price
- $28,690
- Median Debt
- $14,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 18%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 18%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $1,776
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $4,070
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $6,796
- Family Income $110K+
- $49,992
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Cornell University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Cornell University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Cornell University earn a median of $104,043, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $87,830
- 8 Years
- $97,098
- 10 Years
- $104,043
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.13x
- Earning > $25K
- 85%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (2,855)
- 89%
- 100% (2,855)
- 89%
- 100% (2,855)
- 89%
- 100% (2,855)
- 89%
Where Grads Go
Cornell University is a top feeder for:
Rank among programs feeding each employer.
Top employers of Cornell University’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.
How Cornell Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Cornell University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Cornell University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $28,690/year ($114,760 total). Graduates earn $104,043 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,557,442 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,442,682 (22.3× your investment). The median debt is $14,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 95% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $114,760
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $2,557,442
- Net Return
- $2,442,682
- ROI Multiple
- 22.3×
- Cost Per Year
- $28,690
- Median Debt
- $14,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 95%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Cornell University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Cornell University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.91%, among the highest in the country. About 4.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 59.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $143,300, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.91%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 59.4%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 4.9%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $194,695
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Research & Teaching
Data: Times Higher Education World University Rankings
How Research-Intensive Is Cornell University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Cornell University at #14 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 89/100, teaching at 82/100, and citation impact of 88/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
- World Rank
- #14
- Teaching
- 82.2
- Research
- 88.8
- Citations
- 88.1
- International
- 62.4
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Cornell University produces inventors at an exceptional rate — the top 9% of U.S. colleges, with 664 patents tied to its graduates, and ranks among research universities with a 89/100 research score.
- Inventor Rate
- 2.64%
- Top 9% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 664
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 921
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 89/100
- Times Higher Ed
- Academic Influence
- 88/100
- Citation impact (THE)
- Industry Engagement
- 35/100
- Knowledge transfer (THE)
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 1.46%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-116,792,493
Top Programs
The fields Cornell University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Computer Science & IT 19%
- Engineering 15%
- Business & Marketing 11%
- Biology & Biomedical 10%
- Social Sciences 8%
- Psychology 4% $53,168 early-career
- Physical Sciences 2%
- Mathematics & Statistics 2%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Cornell University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Cornell University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 9%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,535. The graduation rate is roughly 95%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Cornell University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Cornell University is $69,314, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $28,690. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $1,776 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $14,000 in federal student loans.
Is Cornell University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Cornell University earn a median of $104,043, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Cornell University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Cornell University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.91%, among the highest in the country. About 4.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 59.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $143,300, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Cornell University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Cornell University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.82, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
How Research-Intensive Is Cornell University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Cornell University at #14 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 89/100, teaching at 82/100, and citation impact of 88/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
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Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Cornell University.
- Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · Close peer90% grad $92,538 earn 5% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY · Close peer96% grad $102,491 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · Close peer97% grad $111,371 earn 5% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA · Close peer92% grad $92,498 earn 10% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA · Close peer93% grad $104,736 earn 10% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Close peer96% grad $100,533 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Cornell University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Cornell University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.82, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note