Cornell College Admission Requirements

How hard is it to get into Cornell College and can I get accepted? The school has a 65% acceptance rate ranking it #16 in Iowa for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 1,480 out of 2,276 applicants were admitted making Cornell College a moderately competitive school to get into with a strong chance of acceptance if you meet the requirements.  Academically, it has very high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 30 percent. Cornell College typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students. Only 20% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class.

Sponsored by Cappex

Find out which students are getting accepted at Cornell College, which are not, and how your GPA, SAT, or ACT scores compare.

Calculate My Chances

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Cornell College?

Cornell College typically requires applicants to be in the top 29 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1170 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1050. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1290 out of 1600. The school ranks #5 in Iowa for highest average SAT composite score. 18 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Cornell College?

Admission data indicates that Cornell College regularly accepts students with ACT's of 23 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 32 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 20 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 26 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 29 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #3 in Iowa for highest average ACT composite score. Scoring well on the ACT is very important as 83 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Cornell College.

You will need very good grades in high school to get into Cornell College. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Cornell College was 3.53 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #7 in Iowa for highest average GPA. If your high school GPA meets these requirements, there is a good chance you will be accepted as Cornell College accepts 65% of students who apply.

 What do these ratings mean?

66% of Cornell College freshman were in the top twenty five percent of their high school graduating class.

What are the requirements for admission to Cornell College and what considerations affect admission decisions?