Cornell College
Mount Vernon, IA · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Cornell College admitted 79.9% of applicants university-wide (2,015 of 2,522).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 79.9% | 2,015 | 2,522 |
| In-state | 86.4% | 267 | 309 |
| Out-of-state | 88.1% | 1,609 | 1,826 |
| International applicants | 35.9% | 139 | 387 |
| Men | 81.7% | 984 | 1,205 |
| Women | 77.5% | 961 | 1,240 |
Also offers Early Action — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 2,015 admitted students, 288 enrolled (14.3% yield).
Cornell College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1130–1260
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 23–30
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.60–3.60
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Cornell College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $99,734/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $73,946 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $25,788 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $99,734/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $16,409 |
| $30k–48k | $18,513 |
| $48k–75k | $20,177 |
| $75k–110k | $22,944 |
| Over $110k | $29,298 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Presidential Scholarship — Up to $33,000 per year (Presidential)
- Cornell College Scholarships — Up to $27,000 per year (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Scholarship — $5,000 - $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Trustee Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Trustee)
- Fine Arts Scholarship — Up to $5,000 per year (Departmental)
- Fine Arts Scholarships — Up to $5,000 per year (Departmental)
- Music Scholarship — Up to $5,000 per year (Departmental)
- Cornell Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Cornell Tradition Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Presidential Scholarship — Up to $33,000 per year (Presidential)
- International Student Scholarship — $30,000 per year (International Aid)
- Cornell College Scholarships — Up to $27,000 per year (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Scholarship — $5,000 - $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Trustee Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Trustee)
- Fine Arts Scholarship — Up to $5,000 per year (Departmental)
- Fine Arts Scholarships — Up to $5,000 per year (Departmental)
- Music Scholarship — Up to $5,000 per year (Departmental)
- Cornell Tradition Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Cornell College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Official transcript
- Test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
- Letters of recommendation (recommended)
- Supplemental essays (recommended)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Official transcript
- Test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
- Letters of recommendation (recommended)
- Supplemental essays (recommended)
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
- Application fee
Cornell College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Application requirements · 2023
Essay prompts
Cornell College requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $53,460
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 61.8%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 97.8%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $27,000
- At graduation
Cornell College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News Liberal Arts: #121
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Computer & information sciences (0%), Engineering (0%), Business & marketing (0%).
Student–faculty ratio: 12:1 · 53% of class sections have under 20 students.
Cornell College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.