Cornell vs. West Point

Deciding between Cornell University and United States Military Academy? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Cornell University
United States Military Academy

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Cornell Ithaca, NY
  • West Point West Point, New York
  • Setting
  • Cornell Small City
  • West Point Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • Cornell 26,793
  • West Point 4,473
  • Type
  • Cornell Private 4 Year
  • West Point Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Cornell #19
  • West Point
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Cornell -
  • West Point -
  • Status
  • Cornell Non-profit
  • West Point Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Cornell
  • West Point

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Cornell $69,314
  • West Point $0
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Cornell $69,314
  • West Point $0
  • Room & Board
  • Cornell $19,428
  • West Point $0
  • Average Net Price
  • Cornell $26,361
  • West Point -
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Cornell $61,779
  • West Point $0
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Cornell 48%
  • West Point 0%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Cornell 62,993
  • West Point 12,320
  • Admitted
  • Cornell 5,516
  • West Point 1,534
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Cornell 8.8%
  • West Point 12.5%
  • Enrolled
  • Cornell 63.9%
  • West Point 77.9%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Cornell 1540
  • West Point 1320
  • Typical ACT score
  • Cornell 34
  • West Point 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • Cornell 3.9
  • West Point 4.0
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Cornell A
  • West Point A/A+
  • Admissions Standards
  • Cornell Elite
  • West Point Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Cornell Extreme
  • West Point Very High
  • ACT Range
  • Cornell 33/35
  • West Point 27/33
  • SAT Range
  • Cornell 1500/1570
  • West Point 1200/1430
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Cornell Required
  • West Point Required
  • Application Deadline
  • Cornell Jan 2, 2027
  • West Point Jan 31, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Cornell 9:1
  • West Point 6:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Cornell
    • Engineering (17%)
    • Agriculture (13%)
    • Business (13%)
    • Biology (12%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
  • West Point
    • Engineering (21%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • Foreign Languages (9%)
    • Engineering Technology (6%)
    • Business (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Cornell 93%
  • West Point 80%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Cornell $98,400
  • West Point N/A
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Cornell 87%
  • West Point -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Cornell $12,000
  • West Point N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Cornell $124
  • West Point N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Cornell 47%
  • West Point 78%
  • % Women
  • Cornell 53%
  • West Point 22%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Cornell Very High
  • West Point -
  • HBCU
  • Cornell No
  • West Point No
  • % White
  • Cornell 41%
  • West Point 0%
  • % Asian
  • Cornell 18%
  • West Point 0%
  • % Black
  • Cornell 6%
  • West Point 0%
  • % Hispanic
  • Cornell 12%
  • West Point 0%
  • % Native American
  • Cornell 0%
  • West Point 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Cornell 0%
  • West Point 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Cornell 4%
  • West Point 0%
  • % International
  • Cornell 10%
  • West Point 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Cornell 8%
  • West Point 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Cornell 32%
  • West Point 7%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Cornell 55%
  • West Point 92%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Cornell Yes
  • West Point Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Cornell No
  • West Point Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • Cornell Yes
  • West Point Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Cornell No
  • West Point No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Cornell No
  • West Point No

Comparable Facts

Compare Cornell University in Ithaca, NY with United States Military Academy in West Point, New York on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Cornell University is larger than West Point based on total student enrollment (26,793 students vs. 4,473 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Cornell University is located in Ithaca, NY (Small City setting); United States Military Academy is in West Point, New York (Large Suburban setting).
  • Cornell University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. United States Military Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Cornell University 9:1; United States Military Academy 6:1.

Cornell vs. West Point Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or West Point? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between Cornell University and West Point ($69,314.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between Cornell and United States Military Academy ($69,314.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Cornell University than at United States Military Academy (48% vs. 0%).

Cornell vs. West Point Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cornell or West Point? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between West Point and Cornell.

  • The typical SAT score (midpoint estimate) at Cornell University (1540) is 220 points higher than at West Point (1320).
  • Incoming Cornell students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (midpoint estimate) (34 vs. 30 at West Point).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: Cornell University 1500/1570; United States Military Academy 1200/1430.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: Cornell University 33/35; United States Military Academy 27/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Cornell - Required; West Point - Required.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Cornell Jan 2, 2027; West Point Jan 31, 2027.
  • Enrolled freshman West Point students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Cornell (3.9).
  • West Point has a higher acceptance rate (12.5%) than Cornell (8.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 63.9% at Cornell vs. 77.9% at West Point.

Cornell vs. West Point Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Cornell and West Point? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • Cornell University's six-year graduation rate (93%) is higher than United States Military Academy's (80%).
  • Graduates from Cornell University have median earnings of about $98,400 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for West Point.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.