Cornell University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Cornell University is a private nonprofit college in Ithaca, NY. Students pay about $28,690 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $104,043 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.2 years and adds $444,670 over a decade, ranking it #14 of 918 (top 2%) by value added.
What is Cornell University's acceptance rate?
Cornell University has an acceptance rate of 8.8%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Ithaca, NY enrolling about 15,995 students, with a 95.3% graduation rate.
How much does Cornell University cost?
Cornell University costs about $28,690 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $128,760. Published sticker cost of attendance is $88,140 per year.
How much do Cornell University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Cornell University student earns $104,043 per year. That is $57,343 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Cornell University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Cornell University pays back its roughly $128,760 cost in about 2.2 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $444,670 net of cost, a 4.45x return on the money invested. That ranks it #14 of 918 (top 2%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Cornell University graduation rate and student debt
95.3% of Cornell University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $14,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 13% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Cornell University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Cornell University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $28,690 | $20,299 | cheaper than 21% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $104,043 | $54,768 | 99th |
| Graduation rate | 95.3% | 57.0% | 99th |
| Acceptance rate | 8.8% | 75.7% | more selective than 98% |
| 10-yr value added | $444,670 | -$28,192 | 99th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 4.45x | 0.73x | 96th |
| Payback period | 2.2 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 96% |
How Cornell University compares with its nearest rivals
Cornell University ranks #14 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 3 of them cost less per year and 2 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Cornell University is a private nonprofit college in Ithaca, NY with 15,995 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $88,140 a year, but the average aided family pays $28,690, a 67% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $14,000, equal to 13% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Cornell University: 8.8% of applicants are admitted.
- Columbia University in the City of New York (New York, NY; #13 of 918; 95.5% graduate) costs $7,100 less per year ($21,590 net), and its graduates earn $1,552 less ten years out ($102,491). Columbia University in the City of New York adds $5,380 more ten-year value than Cornell University. Columbia University in the City of New York pays back its cost in 1.9 years.
- Yale University (New Haven, CT; #15 of 918; 96.0% graduate) costs $4,913 less per year ($23,777 net), and its graduates earn $3,510 less ten years out ($100,533). Cornell University adds $14,423 more ten-year value than Yale University. Yale University pays back its cost in 2 years.
- Claremont McKenna College (Claremont, CA; #12 of 918; 93.3% graduate) costs about the same per year ($28,849 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($104,736). Claremont McKenna College adds $6,794 more ten-year value than Cornell University. Claremont McKenna College pays back its cost in 2.2 years.
- Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ; #16 of 918; 88.2% graduate) costs $12,656 more per year ($41,346 net), and its graduates earn $4,729 more ten years out ($108,772). Cornell University adds $16,334 more ten-year value than Stevens Institute of Technology. Stevens Institute of Technology pays back its cost in 3.1 years.
- Harvard University (Cambridge, MA; #11 of 918; 97.5% graduate) costs $9,624 less per year ($19,066 net), and its graduates earn $2,226 less ten years out ($101,817). Harvard University adds $16,236 more ten-year value than Cornell University. Harvard University pays back its cost in 1.6 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | #11 | $19,066 | $101,817 | 97.5% | $460,906 |
| Claremont McKenna College | #12 | $28,849 | $104,736 | 93.3% | $451,464 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | #13 | $21,590 | $102,491 | 95.5% | $450,050 |
| Cornell University | #14 | $28,690 | $104,043 | 95.3% | $444,670 |
| Yale University | #15 | $23,777 | $100,533 | 96.0% | $430,247 |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | #16 | $41,346 | $108,772 | 88.2% | $428,336 |
Paying for Cornell University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Cornell University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Cornell University ranks #14 of 918 (top 2%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 4.45x the money invested over a decade.
Is Cornell University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $28,690 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 21% of them.
Do Cornell University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $104,043 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 99% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Cornell University compared to other colleges?
Its 8.8% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 98% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.