Cornell University — Full Profile & Ranking 2026

Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York, founded in 1865. Its founding idea, from Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, was a university where any person could find instruction in any study. That breadth is why Cornell is often called the most comprehensive Ivy League university: it covers engineering, agriculture and life sciences, hotel administration, human ecology, industrial and labor relations, veterinary medicine, architecture, and the arts and sciences.

Cornell is a mix of private and New York State statutory (contract) colleges. That affects tuition, and international students pay the non-resident rate in every college.

Cornell University is ranked joint 16th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in June 2026, tied with Yale. Its position is unchanged from the previous edition. The University of Pennsylvania ranks 15th.

QS ranks universities using academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student-to-faculty ratio, and measures of international faculty and students. This is a QS-specific result, not one universal ranking. Times Higher Education, U.S. News, and ARWU use different methods and can order the same universities differently.

Source: QS TopUniversities and the QS World University Rankings 2027 press release (18 June 2026).

Cornell offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programmes, and it is known for:

• Engineering and computing — Cornell Engineering and Cornell Bowers CIS
• Agriculture and life sciences — the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Hospitality — the Nolan School of Hotel Administration
• Veterinary medicine — the College of Veterinary Medicine
• Human ecology, industrial and labor relations, architecture, and business
• Arts and sciences — a large range of majors

For the full list, see Cornell’s official website.

Cornell applicants apply to one of its undergraduate colleges. Details below were checked in October 2026; confirm them on Cornell’s admissions site before applying.

Undergraduate Admissions (Fall 2027 Entry)

Graduate Admissions

Graduate and professional programmes apply through each field’s own process, with its own deadlines and requirements.

Official sources: Cornell Admissions and Cornell international financial aid.

Cornell does not publish one single rate that applies to every college. Education sources report that for the Class of 2029, roughly 64,900 students applied and 5,824 were admitted, an acceptance rate of about 8.9%, with Early Decision at about 22% and Regular Decision at about 7%.

These Class of 2029 figures are third-party estimates, not an official Cornell release. Acceptance varies a lot between colleges, and international applicants are considered on a need-aware basis.

Use each college’s own published information as your guide.

• Choose your Cornell college first, because admission and some costs depend on it
• Decide whether to apply Early Decision (binding, 1 November 2026) or Regular Decision (2 January 2027)
• If you need financial aid, submit the CSS Profile (code 2098) with your application
• Prepare essays, recommendations, and school documents early
• Book an English test if your first language is not English
• Remember that Cornell is need-aware for international applicants
• Plan for the full cost, including housing and living expenses
• Verify every date, fee, and requirement on Cornell’s official website before submitting

Cornell’s Board of Trustees approved the following undergraduate charges for 2026–27:

Your actual cost depends on financial aid, and books, travel, and personal costs are additional.

Sources: Cornell Chronicle, 2026–27 budget and Cornell Financial Aid cost of attendance. Charges change each year.

Cornell’s aid is need-based:

• Need-aware for international applicants: financial need is considered as one factor in admission decisions for international students
• Full need met: Cornell states that it meets 100% of admitted international undergraduates’ demonstrated financial need, using grants, work-study, and student loans based on family income
• CSS Profile: required for all first-year and transfer international applicants who want aid; fee waivers are generally not available to international students
• Timing: aid offers are tentatively released in early April

Source: Cornell Financial Aid for international students. Aid is not guaranteed.

Pakistani applicants follow the same process as other international applicants. Practical points:

• Be realistic about odds: admission for international applicants is very competitive, so apply to a balanced list of universities
• Financial aid: submit the CSS Profile with your application, because Cornell is need-aware for international students
• Tests and English: check each college’s testing rules and prepare an English test if needed. Our IELTS preparation guides can help.
• Visa: admitted students need a U.S. student visa (F-1). Visa decisions are made by the U.S. government, not by Cornell, and no outcome is guaranteed.
• Agents: you apply directly to Cornell, so a paid agent is not required

See also our Top 10 Universities in Pakistan (2026) and our guide to fully funded scholarships for 2027.

• Cornell’s campus is in Ithaca, in upstate New York, overlooking Cayuga Lake, with gorges, waterfalls, and a large hillside campus
• Ithaca is a small college town in upstate New York
• Student clubs, performing arts, and sports are a major part of campus life
• Cornell also has campuses and programmes elsewhere, including Cornell Tech in New York City

• Cornell is a major research university with strengths in engineering, agriculture, life sciences, and computing
• Cornell graduates work across technology, finance, hospitality, agriculture, and public service
• Cornell does not guarantee employment, salary, or visa outcomes

• Numerous Nobel laureates have studied, taught, or researched at Cornell
• Cornell graduates include NASA astronauts and prominent business and engineering leaders
• Cornell’s founders, Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, built the university on the idea of broad access to every field of study

Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
Official website: cornell.edu