Cornell vs. UVA

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

Cornell UVA
Location Ithaca, NY Charlottesville, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 25,898 26,082
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #19 #59
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cornell.edu virginia.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cornell UVA
Tuition (In State) $62,456 $16,980
Tuition (Out of State) $62,456 $51,870
Room & Board $16,988 $12,890
Avg Net Price $26,060 $19,469
Avg Grant Aid $54,219 $26,818
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 34%

Admission

Cornell UVA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 69,195 50,926
Admitted 5,168 9,503
Acceptance Rate 7.5% 18.7%
Enrolled % 67.6% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.85
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 33/35 32/34
SAT Range 1470/1570 1400/1540
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 UVA
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

Cornell UVA
Graduation Rate 93% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,400 $77,200
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $124 $201

Diversity

Cornell UVA
% Men 47% 45%
% Women 53% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 41% 60%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 12% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 10% 5%
% Unknown Race 8% 6%

Students

Cornell UVA
% In-State 33% 62%
% Out-of-State 55% 33%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Virginia Main Campus is larger than than Cornell based on total student enrollment (26,082 students vs. 25,898 students)

Cornell vs. UVA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or UVA?

  • Cornell University is 267.8% more expensive to attend than UVA for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 20.4% higher at Cornell than University of Virginia Main Campus ($62,456.00 vs. $51,870.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Virginia Main Campus than Cornell ($19,469 vs. $26,060)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Virginia Main Campus are 31.8% lower than costs at Cornell University ($12,890 vs. $16,988)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than University of Virginia Main Campus (51% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 102.2% larger than aid received University of Virginia Main Campus ($54,219 vs. $26,818)

Cornell vs. UVA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cornell University (1428) is 64 points higher than at UVA (1364)
  • Incoming Cornell students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UVA (31)
  • Accepted freshman Cornell students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at UVA (3.85)
  • UVA has a higher acceptance rate (18.7%) than Cornell (7.5%)

Cornell vs. UVA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UVA is higher than Cornell University (94% vs. 93%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $21,200 more per year than UVA graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $77,200)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than UVA graduates. ($12,000 vs. $19,500)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $77 less per month on federal student loans than UVA graduates. ($124 vs. $201)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UVA students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 86%)

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