Cornell: the complete school report for parents
Cornell rates 6 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, the essay and extracurricular activities. This is a genuinely holistic review. It does not consider demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. Cornell admits fewer than 1 in 10 applicants, and a strong test score is close to expected. Applying Early Decision changes the odds sharply here: 18.8% of ED applicants were admitted against 8.4% overall.
Cornell is officially Cornell University. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Cornell a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Cornell against the figures above. No account needed.
What’s new at Cornell for 2026-27
The universitywide essay is gone for fall 2027 applicants. Cornell's writing supplement for fall 2027 is college-specific only: there is no universitywide essay question this cycle, and the essays for the college or school you apply to remain. Deadlines are 1 November for Early Decision (other materials by 13 November) and 2 January for Regular Decision (other materials by 19 January). SAT or ACT scores remain required, as they have been since the fall 2026 entering class.
Source: Cornell Transfer Writing Supplement Prompts, Cornell Undergraduate Admissions; Cornell Removes Universitywide Essay Question for Fall 2027 Applicants, The Cornell Daily Sun (Aug 2026); Preparing for Your Cornell Application, Cornell Admissions blog (4 Aug 2026); Standardized Testing Policy, Cornell Undergraduate Admissions
What does Cornell actually weigh in admissions?
Cornell rates 6 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, the essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal qualities, talent. It does not consider 2 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Cornell's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Cornell rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Very Important |
| recommendations | Very Important |
| personal qualities | Very Important |
| talent | Very Important |
| class rank | Important |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Cornell consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Cornell consider GPA?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Cornell consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Cornell consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does Cornell consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Cornell consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Cornell consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Cornell consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Cornell consider class rank?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Cornell consider demonstrated interest?
No. Cornell does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Cornell consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Cornell consider legacy status?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. It can act as a tiebreaker but will not carry a weak application.
Does Cornell consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Cornell consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Cornell consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Cornell consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Cornell consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Cornell consider religious affiliation?
No. Cornell does not consider it.
What is the Cornell waitlist really like?
Cornell offered a place on its waiting list to 9,720 applicants and 6,598 accepted one. 254 were ultimately admitted. That is 3.8% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Cornell admitted 11.7% of 7,381 transfer applicants, against 8.4% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 18.8% of ED applicants were admitted against 8.4% overall, a gap of 10 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.
| Regular application deadline | January 2 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | April 5 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 1 |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $85 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What will Cornell actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $28,690 a year at Cornell after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $73,946. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average.
33% of Cornell graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $25,655 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $148 a month in repayment. Cornell’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Cornell pay off?
Graduates earn a median $104,043 ten years after entering, and $87,830 at six years. 91% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 87% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$219,827 to $50,679, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Cornell:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $219,827 | 504 |
| Mathematics | $162,763 | 93 |
| Operations Research | $151,071 | 80 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $140,860 | 220 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $131,283 | 87 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $130,690 | 190 |
| Economics | $129,667 | 182 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $120,368 | 282 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $113,983 | 132 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $61,505 | 101 |
| Animal Sciences | $51,670 | 75 |
| Plant Sciences | $50,679 | 25 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
98% of first-years return for a second year. 86% graduate within four years and 95% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 89.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 96.0% of everyone else, a gap of 7.0 points.
How big are the classes?
53% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 8% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and 93% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at Cornell like?
16,138 undergraduates, 65.8% of first-years from out of state. 98.9% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 55.4% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 23% of men join a fraternity and 19% of women a sorority. 15% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $80,346.
Cornell has a two-year residential requirement for full-time Ithaca students, with a required meal plan. In the first year, first-year and transfer students are assigned to university residence halls; more than 3,000 new students live on North Campus. In the second year, students may live in residence halls or approved university-affiliated housing such as co-ops and Greek houses. Transfers who already had two years of on-campus living are exempt.
Source: Residential Policy, Cornell Student and Campus Life; First-Year Undergraduates On-Campus Housing, Cornell Student and Campus Life
Cornell competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Ivy League, fielding 37 varsity sports for men and women. The teams are the Big Red.
Source: Varsity athletics, Cornell Enrollment FAQ; Cornell University Athletics
When Cornell created its Office of Global Learning in 2018, it reported about 1,400 undergraduates studying abroad each year and nearly 40% of graduating seniors taking part in international study. Most who study abroad for credit go for one semester.
Source: Cornell establishes Office of Global Learning, Cornell Chronicle (Jan 2018); Education Abroad, Cornell Catalog
Cornell's Office of Undergraduate Research helps students join faculty research for academic credit or pay. Cornell Career Services reports that 64% of the Class of 2025 went into employment and 29% into continuing education, with 3% still seeking, and publishes an outcomes dashboard by school and major.
Source: Undergraduate Research at Cornell, Office of Undergraduate Research; The Next Chapter: How Cornell's Class of 2025 Transitioned from Campus to Career, Cornell Career Services (5 May 2026)
How is Cornell ranked, and how strong is the alumni network?
Cornell counts more than 265,000 alumni, about 7% of whom live outside North America, with an organized alumni presence in 60 countries and regions.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- Early Decision is worth 10 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 254 of 6,598 who waited were admitted, about 4%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $219,827 five years out against $50,679 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Cornell
Does the Cornell waitlist move?
6,598 students accepted a place on the Cornell waiting list and 254 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Cornell graduates earn?
Cornell graduates earn a median $104,043 ten years after entering, and 91% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Cornell
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Cornell’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.