Cornell vs. Penn

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

Cornell Penn
Location Ithaca, NY Philadelphia, PA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 25,898 28,201
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #19 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cornell.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cornell Penn
Tuition (In State) $62,456 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $62,456 $56,212
Room & Board $16,988 $17,888
Avg Net Price $26,060 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $54,219 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 46%

Admission

Cornell Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 69,195 54,588
Admitted 5,168 3,549
Acceptance Rate 7.5% 6.5%
Enrolled % 67.6% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.95
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 34/35
SAT Range 1470/1570 1500/1570
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, 2024 Jan 5, 2024

Academics

Cornell Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Cornell Penn
Graduation Rate 93% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,400 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,000 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $124 $213

Diversity

Cornell Penn
% Men 47% 44%
% Women 53% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 41% 45%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 12% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 3%

Students

Cornell Penn
% In-State 33% 16%
% Out-of-State 55% 67%

Campus

Cornell Penn
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

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Cornell based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 25,898 students)

Cornell vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or Penn?

  • Cornell University is 11.1% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.1% higher at Cornell than University of Pennsylvania ($62,456.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cornell University than Penn ($26,060 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cornell University are 5.3% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($16,988 vs. $17,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than University of Pennsylvania (51% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 5.5% larger than aid received Cornell University ($57,175 vs. $54,219)

Cornell vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 29 points higher than at Cornell (1428)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Cornell (32)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Cornell (3.9)
  • Cornell has a higher acceptance rate (7.5%) than Penn (6.5%)

Cornell vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cornell or Penn? 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 and Cornell.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Cornell University (96% vs. 93%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $25,200 more per year than Cornell graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $98,400)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $8,633 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($12,000 vs. $20,633)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $89 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($124 vs. $213)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 84%)

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