Cornell: the complete school report for parents

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.

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.

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:

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.

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

Other schools families compare with Cornell

• UC Berkeley
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• UCLA
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• Rice University
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• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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• Carnegie Mellon
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• University of Maryland-College Park
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