Cornell vs. Penn State

Should I go to Cornell University or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cornell or Penn State 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. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Cornell University Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Cornell University Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 Cornell Penn State
Location Ithaca, NY University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 25,898 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #19 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cornell.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cornell Penn State
Tuition (In State) $62,456 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $62,456 $35,946
Room & Board $16,988 $12,744
Avg Net Price $26,060 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $54,219 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 44%

Admission

 Cornell Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 69,195 85,784
Admitted 5,168 47,360
Acceptance Rate 7.5% 55.2%
Enrolled % 67.6% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 33/35 26/31
SAT Range 1470/1570 1210/1390
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 2, 2025

Academics

 Cornell Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Cornell Penn State
Graduation Rate 93% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $124 $277

Diversity

 Cornell Penn State
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 41% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 12% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

 Cornell Penn State
% In-State 33% 51%
% Out-of-State 55% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Cornell based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 25,898 students)

Cornell vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or Penn State?

  • Cornell University is 240% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 73.7% higher at Cornell than Penn State Main Campus ($62,456.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cornell University than Penn State ($26,060 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 33.3% lower than costs at Cornell University ($12,744 vs. $16,988)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than Penn State Main Campus (51% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 438.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($54,219 vs. $10,066)

Cornell vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cornell University (1428) is 226 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Cornell students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Cornell (7.5%)

Cornell vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cornell or Penn State? 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 Penn State and Cornell.

  • The graduation rate at Cornell is higher than Penn State Main Campus (93% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $43,100 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $14,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($12,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $153 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($124 vs. $277)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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