Cornell University

Overview

Cornell University sits in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1865, it enrolls more undergraduates than any other Ivy League institution. Cornell is both a privately endowed university and the federal land-grant institution of New York State, meaning it carries a public mission in agriculture and the applied sciences alongside its private research role. In fall 2025 it enrolled 16,138 undergraduates, with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, a 95% six-year graduation rate, and 98% of first-year students returning for a second year. Of the 3,827 first-year students in the Class of 2029, 1,190 are from New York and 389 are international.

Two kinds of families tend to fit. In the first, the student already has a clear direction, such as engineering, business, hotel administration, nutrition, or agricultural science. Cornell admits by college, so a clear direction makes it far easier to align coursework and essays. In the second, the family wants applied, career-oriented fields inside the Ivy League; at Cornell, hotel administration, applied economics and management, nutritional sciences, and industrial and labor relations are all taught by dedicated colleges or schools. For Irvine families, the first two questions are which college to apply to and whether to use binding Early Decision; the last section of this page lays out a plan by grade.

Admissions data

8.4%Class of 2029 admit rate

1. Applied72,523
2. Admitted6,077
3. Enrolled3,827

• Other US states59%
• New York31%
• International10%

2,248 from other states, 1,190 from New York, and 389 international students. California students count as other states.

• New York13.3%
• Other US states9%
• International3.6%

Calculated from the Common Data Set: New York, 12,978 applied and 1,720 admitted; other states, 40,979 applied and 3,693 admitted; international, 18,566 applied and 664 admitted.

Among enrolling students in the Class of 2029, 1,639 submitted the SAT and 486 the ACT. The middle 50% SAT range was 1490 to 1550, and the ACT range was 33 to 35.

How to apply

Cornell accepts the Common Application and also QuestBridge. The application fee is $85, with waivers for eligible families. Every applicant applies directly to one college or school, and the eight admitting units each set their own high school course requirements, essay prompts, and extra materials. Common materials include the transcript and school report, a counselor recommendation, two teacher recommendations, and the Cornell supplement written for the chosen college. Business applicants also submit a resume, and architecture and fine arts applicants submit a portfolio by the application deadline.

Testing is required. Cornell’s wording is that applicants are “required to submit SAT or ACT scores.” Scores may be self-reported on the Common Application or in the applicant portal, and enrolling students must send official scores. Cornell combines the highest SAT section scores across test dates, uses the ACT superscore, and does not require the ACT science section. Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not been taught primarily in English for the past four years must also submit an English proficiency score; US citizens and permanent residents are exempt.

Cornell does not offer personal interviews; the only exception is a required video interview for applicants to the Bachelor of Architecture program. Admission is need-blind for US students, which includes US citizens, dual citizens, and certain eligible non-citizens, so an aid application never affects the decision. For international students admission is need-aware, meaning financial need is one factor considered. An international student who may need aid at any point must apply for it with the admission application, or will not be eligible for aid at any time as an undergraduate.

Cost and financial aid

2026-27$96,318billed total

• Tuition$73,946
• Fees$1,024
• Housing$13,744
• Food$7,604

What a family actually pays, by income

1. Under $75,000$0Grants and work-study cover the full cost; no student loans
2. $75,000 to $125,000Tuition $0Grant aid covers tuition; student loans capped at $2,000 a year
3. Above $125,000Assessed by need; student loans capped at $4,000 to $6,000 a year

Cornell meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all eligible undergraduates. Aid offers combine Cornell grants, an annual $5,000 work-study award, and student loans that rise in steps with total family income. The income bands assume typical family assets. According to the university’s March 2026 announcement, nearly 50% of undergraduates receive Cornell grant aid. Students who also hold aid offers from another Ivy League institution, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University, or Stanford University can submit them for Cornell to review.

Several colleges are New York State contract colleges: they were established by the state legislature, are operated by Cornell, and receive state funding. New York residents in those programs pay a lower rate, $49,816 in 2026-27. The contract units are Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, Industrial and Labor Relations, the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the Bachelor of Science programs of the Brooks School of Public Policy. California students do not qualify and pay $73,946 in any college.

Schools and fields of study

Undergraduates at Cornell belong to one of eight admitting colleges and schools, and the choice is made on the application: the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS); the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP); the College of Arts & Sciences; the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy; the Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering; the College of Human Ecology; the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, which houses the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and the Nolan School of Hotel Administration; and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR). The Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science teaches computing majors but does not admit students directly, so a future computer science major applies through Arts & Sciences or Engineering. Across the university there are more than 4,000 courses and more than 120 minors, and the admissions site lists 81 undergraduate majors.

Several majors are offered by more than one college. Computer science can be studied in Arts & Sciences or Engineering, and biological sciences in CALS or Arts & Sciences; the college a student belongs to sets the degree requirements and the tuition category. Arts & Sciences is the largest undergraduate college, with more than 40 majors. Applicants name up to two areas of interest and declare a major by the end of sophomore year. The college requires four years of high school English, three of math through precalculus, three of science, and three levels of one foreign language.

Engineering students begin with a common first-year curriculum and apply to affiliate with a major in the second year. A small cohort of incoming engineers spends the first semester at the Universidad de Cantabria in Santander, Spain, through Global Start Cantabria. In the business college, Dyson requires calculus if the high school offers it, plus chemistry and biology; Nolan requires precalculus, chemistry, and three levels of a foreign language. The Bachelor of Architecture is a five-year professional degree.

Campus life

Cornell has a two-year residential requirement for first- and second-year students, including a required meal plan. All first-year students live on North Campus, in residence halls or themed Program Houses, as part of a community of more than 3,000 new students; students state preferences and housing staff assign the hall. In the second year, students may stay in university residence halls or move into approved affiliated housing, such as recognized fraternity and sorority houses or university-owned cooperatives. More than 55% of undergraduates live on campus, and there are nearly 30 dining locations, 10 of them all-you-care-to-eat dining rooms.

A timeline for Irvine families

Cornell admits by college, and each college sets different requirements in math, science, and language, so the four-year schedule decides which colleges are realistic. The five Irvine Unified high schools differ in when AP courses open and how the math sequence accelerates; school-by-school rules are in the IUSD high school guides.

1. Grade 9Set the path, protect grades
   • Settle the math and science sequence; engineering needs calculus by graduation
   • Keep one foreign language going; Arts & Sciences requires three levels
   • Choose one or two activities that can run four years
2. Grade 10First AP courses
   • Take the first AP courses the school allows
   • Fit chemistry, physics, or biology to the target college
   • Consider an academic summer program or research
3. Grade 11Finish testing
   • SAT or ACT: first sitting in spring, second before summer ends
   • Dates on the test calendar; prep on the SAT page
   • Choose two recommending teachers; engineering needs a math, science, or CS teacher
4. Fall of grade 12Choose a college, decide on ED
   • ED: application by November 1, other materials by November 13
   • Prepare the UC application in the same window
   • Otherwise Regular Decision by January 2

Dates and registration deadlines are on the 2026-27 test calendar, and preparation options are on the SAT page.

How EDUBUS helps

EDUBUS college planning runs year by year from grade 9: a four-year course plan built around the rules of each Irvine high school and the course requirements of each Cornell college, a testing schedule, an activities direction that matches the target college, and in grade 12 a counselor review of every application component and college-specific essay. Preparing the CSS Profile and FAFSA for financial aid is part of the service. To see where a student stands relative to schools like Cornell, start with a free assessment.