Cornell vs. RIT

Should I go to Cornell University or Rochester Institute of Technology? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cornell or RIT 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. Rochester Institute of Technology comparison
Cornell University Rochester Institute of Technology College 3 College 4
Cornell University Rochester Institute of Technology
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Overview

Cornell RIT
Location Ithaca, NY Rochester, NY
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 25,898 16,615
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #19 #172
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cornell.edu rit.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cornell RIT
Tuition (In State) $62,456 $53,720
Tuition (Out of State) $62,456 $53,720
Room & Board $16,988 $14,978
Avg Net Price $26,060 $39,600
Avg Grant Aid $54,219 $29,122
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 97%

Admission

Cornell RIT
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 69,195 23,976
Admitted 5,168 16,105
Acceptance Rate 7.5% 67.2%
Enrolled % 67.6% 19.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 33/35 29/33
SAT Range 1470/1570 1270/1450
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 15, 2024

Academics

Cornell RIT
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (16%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Engineering Technology (11%)

Outcomes

Cornell RIT
Graduation Rate 93% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,400 $64,900
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,000 $28,000
Median Loan Payment $124 $289

Diversity

Cornell RIT
% Men 47% 65%
% Women 53% 35%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 41% 66%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 12% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 10% 6%
% Unknown Race 8% 5%

Students

Cornell RIT
% In-State 33% 47%
% Out-of-State 55% 49%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than RIT based on total student enrollment (25,898 students vs. 16,615 students)

Cornell vs. RIT Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or RIT ?

  • Cornell University is 16.3% more expensive to attend than RIT for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $53,720.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.3% higher at Cornell than Rochester Institute of Technology ($62,456.00 vs. $53,720.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cornell University than RIT ($26,060 vs. $39,600)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rochester Institute of Technology are 13.4% lower than costs at Cornell University ($14,978 vs. $16,988)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rochester Institute of Technology than Cornell University (97% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 86.2% larger than aid received Rochester Institute of Technology ($54,219 vs. $29,122)

Cornell vs. RIT Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cornell University (1428) is 177 points higher than at RIT (1251)
  • Incoming Cornell students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at RIT (29)
  • Accepted freshman Cornell students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at RIT (3.7)
  • RIT has a higher acceptance rate (67.2%) than Cornell (7.5%)

Cornell vs. RIT Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Cornell is higher than Rochester Institute of Technology (93% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $33,500 more per year than RIT graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $64,900)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $16,000 lower median federal student loan debt than RIT graduates. ($12,000 vs. $28,000)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $165 less per month on federal student loans than RIT graduates. ($124 vs. $289)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RIT students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 75%)

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