At a Glance
Ithaca, New York
Undergraduate Students: 14,000
Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1
Acceptance Rate: 9%
Six Year Graduation Rate: 94%
Freshman Retention Rate: 97%
Notable Majors/Programs: Architecture, engineering, business, biology, agriculture, history, government, hospitality
The Feel
Founded as a New York land grant college for the purpose of education in the agricultural industry. The founder, Ezra Cornell, intended it to be a place where anyone could study. As a result, they were the first ivy-league college to admit women.
Cornell is located in the beautiful town of Ithaca. Part of the campus includes a nature preserve, lake, falls and botanical garden. Hiking trails are everywhere and the campus is very hilly.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is the second largest college on campus and includes programs addressing agriculture, climate change, global development, and health and nutrition.
The College of Human Ecology focuses on the relationship between humans and various forms of nature.
Cornell has 37 varsity teams that compete in NCAA Division I. Hockey is the most popular, both in attendance and in participation in through intramural sports.
Standout Points
Cornell’s architecture program has been considered among the top world wide for decades.
The Nolan School of Hotel Administration includes a working hotel which serves as experiential education for students. This program is considered number one in the world.
Cornell has a tradition requiring all students to pass a swim test in order to graduate.
Willard Straight Hall was established as the first student union in the country. It includes a “fun library,” which contains only books for leisure reading.
The architecture and engineering schools compete every year on Dragon Day, which includes parading a dragon around, created by each school, and then having them face off to determine a champion.
Fun Fact
Students at Cornell have a nickname for the toned calves that students acquire over the years due to lots of walking up hills around the campus. They call them “Cornell Calves.”
Bottom Line Fit: For the ivy league-capable student looking to trade in the urban settings of Brown, Harvard or Yale for the natural, rural setting of western New York along with a bit more of a balanced college life (regarding academics and extra-curriculars).
Learn more about Cornell University!