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Vanderbilt Princeton Emory Georgetown Penn NYU Johns Hopkins Duke Colgate UChicago Northwestern Yale| Washington University in St Louis | Cornell University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
| Location | Saint Louis, MO | Ithaca, NY | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Small City | ||
| Enrollment | 16,500 | 26,264 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #21 | #19 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | wustl.edu | cornell.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $61,750 | $65,204 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $61,750 | $65,204 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,778 | $18,554 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $22,440 | $26,455 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,036 | $56,741 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 48% | 51% |
Admission |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 32,240 | 65,635 | ||
| Admitted | 3,855 | 5,358 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 12% | 8.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 47.4% | 66% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.92 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 33/35 | 33/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1500/1570 | 1480/1560 | ||
| 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, 2026 | Jan 2, 2026 |
Academics |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 9:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 93% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,800 | $98,400 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 88% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,900 | $12,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $205 | $124 |
Diversity |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 25% | 19% | ||
| % Women | 25% | 20% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 55% | 41% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 7% | 12% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 4% | ||
| % International | 8% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 8% |
Students |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 12% | 32% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 76% | 55% | ||
Campus |
WUSTL | Cornell | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Cornell University is larger than than WUSTL based on total student enrollment (26,264 students vs. 16,500 students)
WUSTL vs. Cornell Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, WUSTL or Cornell?
- Cornell University is 5.6% more expensive to attend than WUSTL for in-state tuition ($65,204.00 vs. $61,750.00)
- Out of state tuition is 5.6% higher at Cornell than Washington University in St Louis ($65,204.00 vs. $61,750.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Washington University in St Louis than Cornell ($22,440 vs. $26,455)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cornell University are 12% lower than costs at Washington University in St Louis ($18,554 vs. $20,778)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than Washington University in St Louis (51% vs. 48%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Washington University in St Louis students is 7.6% larger than aid received Cornell University ($61,036 vs. $56,741)
WUSTL vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, WUSTL or Cornell? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cornell or WUSTL .
- The average SAT score at Washington University in St Louis (1469) is 41 points higher than at Cornell (1428)
- Incoming WUSTL students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Cornell (32)
- Accepted freshman WUSTL students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Cornell (3.9)
- WUSTL has a higher acceptance rate (12%) than Cornell (8.2%)
WUSTL vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, WUSTL 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 WUSTL .
- The graduation rate at WUSTL is the same as at Cornell University (93% vs. 93%)
- Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $15,600 more per year than WUSTL graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $82,800)
- Cornell University students graduate with a $7,900 lower median federal student loan debt than WUSTL graduates. ($12,000 vs. $19,900)
- Cornell graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than WUSTL graduates. ($124 vs. $205)
- More WUSTL graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cornell students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 87%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/