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#17 Best Colleges in America

Cornell Admission Requirements

Ithaca, New York

 2 Reviews

Chances of getting into Cornell University

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
9%
Admission Difficulty for Cornell University
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Elite 
Applicant Competition Extreme 
How hard is it to get into Cornell and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at Cornell is 9%.  It ranks #4 in New York and #25 in the nation for lowest rate of acceptance. Cornell is extremely competitive school to get into with a very low chance of acceptance - even for applicants with the highest scores and grades. Last year, 5,852 out of 67,380 applicants were admitted.

The school has exceptionally high admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 2 percent on standardized admission tests. Cornell University typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.9. Most incoming freshmen graduate in the top ten percent of their high school class. Of those applicants who were admitted, 64% enrolled. With over half of admitted students enrolling, acceptance by Cornell University is a prized outcome for many students.

The Cornell application fee is $80 and applications are due by Jan 2.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to Cornell University. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 41% of students submitted SAT scores and 20% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

Cornell SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1450-1560
Applicants Submitting SAT 
41%
SAT Scores for Cornell University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 700
SAT Math 25th 750
SAT Composite 25th 1450
SAT Scores for Cornell University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 760
SAT Math 75th 800
SAT Composite 75th 1560
Average SAT Score 1510

SAT Scores you need to get in

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

Cornell University is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into Cornell University score in the top 2 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1450-1560.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

Cornell University admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1560 and Above Good >16%
1505 to 1560 Avg + 9%-16%
1450 to 1505 Avg - 5%-9%
1395 to 1450 Reach 3%-5%
Less than 1395 Low <3%
Calculate My Chances 

Cornell ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
33-35 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
20%
ACT Scores for Cornell University
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 34
ACT Math 25th 31
ACT Composite 25th 33
ACT Scores for Cornell University
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 35
ACT Math 75th 35
ACT Composite 75th 35
Average ACT Score 34

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

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

Cornell University is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

Cornell regularly accepts students who score 33 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 2 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 33-35.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Cornell University admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
35 and Above Good >16%
34 to 35 Avg + 9%-16%
33 to 34 Avg - 5%-9%
32 to 33 Reach 3%-5%
Less than 32 Low <3%
Calculate My Chances 

Cornell GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.9*
Typical High School Grades 
A-

What GPA do you need to get into Cornell University?

Applicants require exceptionally good grades to get into Cornell. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Cornell University was 3.9 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #5 in New York for highest average GPA. Given the school's very highly selective admissions, acceptance at Cornell extremely difficult and unlikely even with a 3.9 GPA. The school should be considered a reach even if you have a 3.9 GPA.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.9 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

High School Class Rank

84.2% of Cornell University freshman were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted Cornell University students
High School Class Rank Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class 84.2%
Top 25% of class 96.5%
Top 50% of class 100%
Data Source, Peterson's Data

Applying

Admission Statistics

Cornell University admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 33,892 33,488 67,380
Accepted 3,239 2,613 5,852
Acceptance Rate 10% 8% 9%
Enrolled 2,048 1,670 3,718
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 63% 64% 64%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications were Due
Jan 2, 2023
Days left to Apply
None

The application deadline for Fall 2023 has passed. Applications were due on Jan 2, 2023.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to Cornell University is $80.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to Cornell University and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Cornell University Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Considered but not required
High School Class Rank Considered but not required
Completion of College Preparatory Program Considered but not required
Recommendations Required
Demonstration of Competencies Considered but not required

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at Cornell University
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit No
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=190415 IPEDS survey data for Cornell University.

FAQs

Does Cornell University prefer SAT or ACT?

41% of students submit their SAT scores to Cornell. 20% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into Cornell University?

9% of those who apply are granted admission to Cornell. Admission competition is extreme and the college has elite admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for Cornell University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1450 and 1560. 41% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for Cornell University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 33 and 35. 20% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.