Cornell University SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
Cornell is test-optional, but the students who submit scores are aiming very high: 45% submitted SAT scores, and the middle range is 1510–1560. If you choose to test, treat a 1510+ SAT, or roughly a 33+ ACT, as your competitive target rather than a nice-to-have.
Data on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
Cornell University facts and stats
Cornell University enrolls 16,128 undergraduates in a small-town campus setting. Cornell has a 98% freshman retention rate, well above the national average of roughly 70%. Its 6-year graduation rate is 96%, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1.
Ithaca, NY
How do your scores compare at Cornell?
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Key Cornell University application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
January 2
Early Action
Not offered
Early Decision
November 1
Priority Deadline
—
Coming soon
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
If you choose to submit scores to test-optional Cornell, take your first SAT or ACT by the spring of junior year, then use the summer before senior year and senior-year fall for superscoring retakes. Because Cornell’s earliest deadline is Early Decision on November 1, the October SAT or September ACT is typically the last retake that will arrive in time.
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What you'll actually pay
Cornell’s listed total cost of attendance is $88,742, including $69,314 in tuition and fees and $19,428 for room and board. About 46% of students receive financial aid, with an average aid package of $62,720. For additional context, graduates leave with an average debt of $29,441.
Student life at Cornell University
52% of undergrads live on campus
Freshman housing: Guaranteed
Fraternities and sororities are active on campus. 27% of men join fraternities, and 24% of women join sororities.
Similar schools
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Flushing, NYAcceptance rate: 85%
SAT: 909–1293
ACT: 16–25
Adelphi University
Garden City, NYAcceptance rate: 65.9%
SAT: 1120–1330
ACT: 24–30
Acceptance rate: 77.5%
Acceptance rate: 100%
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