Cornell acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Cornell University · Private nonprofit · Ithaca, NY · 16,051 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Cornell admitted 8.2% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 15.6% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $72,270 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 15.6% | 39,999 | 6,222 |
| 2014 | 14.2% | 43,037 | 6,105 |
| 2015 | 15.1% | 41,900 | 6,315 |
| 2016 | 14.1% | 44,965 | 6,337 |
| 2017 | 12.7% | 47,039 | 5,962 |
| 2018 | 10.6% | 51,324 | 5,448 |
| 2019 | 10.9% | 49,114 | 5,330 |
| 2020 | 10.7% | 51,500 | 5,514 |
| 2021 | 8.7% | 67,380 | 5,852 |
| 2022 | 7.5% | 69,195 | 5,168 |
| 2023 | 8.2% | 65,635 | 5,358 |
Applications went from 39,999 in fall 2013 to 65,635 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $6,371 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $6,152 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,797 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $13,422 |
| Over $110,000 | $55,935 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $72,270 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $92,093 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $33,934 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 37% submitted the SAT, 12% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| NYU NY | 9.4% | $65,622 same for all |
| Colgate NY | 12.0% | $73,646 same for all |
| Columbia University NY | 4.2% | $74,180 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Cornell offered admission to 8.2% of the 65,635 students who applied for fall 2023.1 In fall 2013 it admitted 15.6%, so selectivity tightened by 7.4 percentage points over the decade.1 The lowest point came in fall 2022 at 7.5%, and the rate went down in 7 of the 10 annual changes from 2013 to 2023.1 Applications climbed 64% while admitted students went from 6,222 to 5,358.1
Cornell was test-optional for fall 2023; the middle 50% of SAT submitters scored 760 to 790 in math and 720 to 770 in reading and writing.1
Tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $72,270, against a New York median of $35,880 for the 119 private nonprofit bachelor's colleges that report it.2 Need-based aid keeps the price low for most incomes below $75,000: the 2024-25 average net price was $6,371 for families earning up to $30,000 and $6,797 for those earning $48,001 to $75,000.2 It jumps to $55,935 for families earning over $110,000.2
Of students who began in 2019, 95% graduated within 6 years; the median federal loan debt of graduates is $12,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 65,635 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 5,358 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 3,537 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 16,051 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 720 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 760 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 790 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 33 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 37% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 12% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $72,270 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $92,093 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $33,934 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $6,371 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $6,152 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,797 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $13,422 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $55,935 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 95% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 98% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 22% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $113,531 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $12,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, New York (N = 119) | $35,880 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Cornell, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page