Cornell is both a large top-tier research university and one of the prestigious Ivy League schools that are famed for both academic intensity and the social clout they offer graduates. Cornell is unique, however, as an Ivy. They are the only Ivy that is also a land grant university, giving New York State applicants a higher rate of admissions for some programs. They are the only Ivy to have an undergraduate school focused on labor relations, the only one with a hospitality program, and the foremost agriculture program in the country. For the fall of 2025, the in-state first-year acceptance rate was 13.25%. That same year, the out-of-state acceptance rate was 9%. One year later, for the Class of 2030 enrolling in the fall of 2026, we’re still not sure what the acceptance rate was as they have not released those numbers. We expect it to be within 1% +/- of the Class of 2029.  

Cornell is a major research university in Ithaca, NY that just so happens to be part of the prestigious Ivy League. We say “just so happens” like it happened by chance, but Cornell’s status comes from past performance, present prominence, and future excellence. The university is exceptional, and it has the outcomes to prove it. The admissions numbers, though, can be a bit misleading.

Cornell has eight undergraduate colleges and schools that together offer over 80 majors and more than 4,000 courses of study. In other words, it’s a big university. Many of the programs Cornell offers are, in fact, the only one of their kind of that caliber. For example, the hospitality program at Cornell sets a global standard for hotel management (think Four Seasons, not Red Roof Inn), and the agriculture programs literally keep our nation fed.