Penn State vs. Cornell

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

 Penn State Cornell
Location University Park, PA Ithaca, NY
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,399 26,264
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #19
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cornell.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Cornell
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $65,204
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $65,204
Room & Board $13,030 $18,554
Avg Net Price $27,450 $26,455
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $56,741
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 51%

Admission

 Penn State Cornell
Applied 85,956 65,635
Admitted 46,605 5,358
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 8.2%
Enrolled % 19.4% 66%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 27/32 33/35
SAT Range 1220/1400 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 2, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Cornell
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Cornell
Graduation Rate 87% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $98,400
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $124

Diversity

 Penn State Cornell
% Men 8% 19%
% Women 8% 20%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 41%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 11% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

 Penn State Cornell
% In-State 51% 32%
% Out-of-State 40% 55%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Cornell based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 26,264 students)

Penn State vs. Cornell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Cornell?

  • Cornell University is 231.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($65,204.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 64.5% higher at Cornell than Penn State Main Campus ($65,204.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cornell University than Penn State ($26,455 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 42.4% lower than costs at Cornell University ($13,030 vs. $18,554)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than Penn State Main Campus (51% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 390.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($56,741 vs. $11,577)

Penn State vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cornell University (1428) is 226 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Cornell students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Cornell (8.2%)

Penn State vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State 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 Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Cornell is higher than Penn State Main Campus (93% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $43,100 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $14,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($12,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $153 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($124 vs. $277)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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