Skip to content
College Path Hub

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

Compare this college

Official website

At a glance

Average net price
$28,690What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
9%
Graduation rate
95%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
15,995
In-state tuition
$69,314Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$69,314
SAT midpoint
1,505
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$104,043Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$28,690

Better than 25% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

95%

Better than 98% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$104,043

Better than 98% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$14,000

Better than 94% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$88,140

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$28,690

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?
Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Cornell University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time95%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return98%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$14,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$104,043

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Cornell University by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Computer Science$152,656507
Computer and Information Sciences, General$103,650206
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$100,516100
Operations Research$96,37773
Agricultural Business and Management$92,163254
Mathematics$87,251103
Chemical Engineering$85,57841
Mechanical Engineering$85,440132
Economics$84,967157
Statistics$82,53135
Civil Engineering$80,26136
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology$78,35831
Public Policy Analysis$77,90644
Hospitality Administration/Management$77,803290
Human Resources Management and Services$73,436273
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering$69,55833
Food Science and Technology$64,06231
Communication and Media Studies$62,18264
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$61,39744
Political Science and Government$60,292116
Agricultural Engineering$54,43527
Agriculture, General$53,46557
Physics$50,93348
Architectural Sciences and Technology$50,42872
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$46,07221
History$44,70624
Public Health$44,51633
Area Studies$43,83137
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$41,62179
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other$38,841176
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$38,40190
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$37,13128
Sociology$36,70947
Psychology, General$36,63070
Animal Sciences$36,20481
Biology, General$34,500254
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$33,41918
English Language and Literature, General$33,27044
Plant Sciences$32,23619
Fine and Studio Arts$31,07336
Nutrition Sciences$30,50829
Chemistry$28,37245
Biological and Physical SciencesNot reported26
Apparel and TextilesNot reported25
PhilosophyNot reported25
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and ServicesNot reported21
Engineering PhysicsNot reported18
Materials EngineeringNot reported16
Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesNot reported14
International AgricultureNot reported14
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported11
Astronomy and AstrophysicsNot reported10
Visual and Performing Arts, OtherNot reported9
Atmospheric Sciences and MeteorologyNot reported9
MusicNot reported8
Science, Technology and SocietyNot reported8
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesNot reported8
Engineering, GeneralNot reported7
AnthropologyNot reported6
Zoology/Animal BiologyNot reported5
ArcheologyNot reported4
Landscape ArchitectureNot reported3
Religion/Religious StudiesNot reported3
Foods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesNot reportedNot reported
Architectural History, Criticism, and ConservationNot reportedNot reported
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reportedNot reported
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftNot reportedNot reported
Community Organization and AdvocacyNot reportedNot reported
Social Sciences, OtherNot reportedNot reported
Engineering, OtherNot reportedNot reported
Culinary Arts and Related ServicesNot reportedNot reported
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsNot reportedNot reported
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherNot reportedNot reported
Environmental DesignNot reportedNot reported
ArchitectureNot reportedNot reported
Education, GeneralNot reportedNot reported
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reportedNot reported
Biological/Biosystems EngineeringNot reportedNot reported
DanceNot reportedNot reported

All 79 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

Similar colleges