Barnard vs. Cornell

Should I go to Barnard College or Cornell University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Barnard or Cornell is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Barnard College vs. Cornell University comparison
Barnard College Cornell University College 3 College 4
Barnard College Cornell University
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Overview

Barnard Cornell
Location New York, NY Ithaca, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 3,442 25,898
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #35 #19
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website barnard.edu cornell.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Barnard Cornell
Tuition (In State) $60,478 $62,456
Tuition (Out of State) $60,478 $62,456
Room & Board $19,364 $16,988
Avg Net Price $26,009 $26,060
Avg Grant Aid $53,817 $54,219
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 51%

Admission

Barnard Cornell
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,009 69,195
Admitted 1,056 5,168
Acceptance Rate 8.8% 7.5%
Enrolled % 66% 67.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/34 33/35
SAT Range 1440/1550 1470/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 4, 2025 Jan 2, 2025

Academics

Barnard Cornell
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

Barnard Cornell
Graduation Rate 92% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,900 $98,400
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,847 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $184 $124

Diversity

Barnard Cornell
% Men 3% 47%
% Women 97% 53%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 41%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 12% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 8% 10%
% Unknown Race 0% 8%

Students

Barnard Cornell
% In-State 28% 33%
% Out-of-State 60% 55%

Campus

Barnard Cornell
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than Barnard based on total student enrollment (25,898 students vs. 3,442 students)

Barnard vs. Cornell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Barnard or Cornell?

  • Cornell University is 3.3% more expensive to attend than Barnard for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $60,478.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.3% higher at Cornell than Barnard College ($62,456.00 vs. $60,478.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Barnard College than Cornell ($26,009 vs. $26,060)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cornell University are 14% lower than costs at Barnard College ($16,988 vs. $19,364)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than Barnard College (51% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 0.7% larger than aid received Barnard College ($54,219 vs. $53,817)

Barnard vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Barnard or Cornell? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cornell or Barnard .

  • The average SAT score at Cornell University (1428) is 71 points higher than at Barnard (1357)
  • Incoming Cornell students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Barnard (31)
  • Accepted freshman Cornell students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Barnard (3.85)
  • Barnard has a higher acceptance rate (8.8%) than Cornell (7.5%)

Barnard vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Barnard or Cornell? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cornell and Barnard.

  • The graduation rate at Cornell is higher than Barnard College (93% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $31,500 more per year than Barnard graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $66,900)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $5,847 lower median federal student loan debt than Barnard graduates. ($12,000 vs. $17,847)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than Barnard graduates. ($124 vs. $184)
  • More Barnard graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cornell students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 87%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/