Cornell vs. PHC

Should I go to Cornell University or Patrick Henry College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cornell or PHC 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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Cornell University vs. Patrick Henry College comparison
Cornell University Patrick Henry College College 3 College 4
Cornell University
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Overview

 Cornell PHC
Location Ithaca, NY Purcellville, Virginia
Setting Small City Town Fringe
Enrollment 26,264 408
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #19
Religious Affiliation - Non-Denominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cornell.edu phc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cornell PHC
Tuition (In State) $65,204 $28,400
Tuition (Out of State) $65,204 $28,400
Room & Board $18,554 $11,020
Avg Net Price $26,455 $25,128
Avg Grant Aid $56,741 $13,798
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 98%

Admission

 Cornell PHC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,635 222
Admitted 5,358 182
Acceptance Rate 8.2% 82%
Enrolled % 66% 53.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.83
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 26/31
SAT Range 1480/1560 1220/1430
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Jan 2, 2026 Jul 15, 2026

Academics

 Cornell PHC
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

 Cornell PHC
Graduation Rate 93% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 87% -
Median Student Loan Debt $12,000 N/A
Median Loan Payment $124 N/A

Diversity

 Cornell PHC
% Men 19% 5%
% Women 20% 3%
Racial Diversity Very High -
HBCU No No
% White 41% 0%
% Black 6% 0%
% Hispanic 12% 0%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 0%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 8% 0%

Students

 Cornell PHC
% In-State 32% 16%
% Out-of-State 55% 83%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than PHC based on total student enrollment (26,264 students vs. 408 students)

Cornell vs. PHC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or PHC?

  • Cornell University is 129.6% more expensive to attend than PHC for in-state tuition ($65,204.00 vs. $28,400.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 129.6% higher at Cornell than Patrick Henry College ($65,204.00 vs. $28,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Patrick Henry College than Cornell ($25,128 vs. $26,455)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Patrick Henry College are 68.4% lower than costs at Cornell University ($11,020 vs. $18,554)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Patrick Henry College than Cornell University (98% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 311.2% larger than aid received Patrick Henry College ($56,741 vs. $13,798)

Cornell vs. PHC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Cornell students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at PHC (3.83)
  • PHC has a higher acceptance rate (82%) than Cornell (8.2%)

Cornell vs. PHC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cornell or PHC? 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 PHC and Cornell.

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