Cornell Acceptance Rate: Early Decision, Regular and by College

Last updated: November 6, 2026

The Cornell acceptance rate is 9.2% for students who entered in fall 2026: Cornell admitted 6,040 of 65,514 first-year applicants, according to its University Factbook. Early Decision applicants were admitted at about 20.9%, and rates differ widely by college, from about 5.4% at the Dyson School to about 22.3% at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration in fall 2025. Below you will find Cornell's own numbers by plan, by college and by residency, recent test scores, the fall 2027 deadlines, and every college's essay prompt, word for word.

At Cornell you apply to one college, and that choice frames how your whole file is read. Help me choose the right one →

Cornell acceptance rate for fall 2026

Cornell's Office of Institutional Research and Planning (IRP) updated its first-year factbook on September 1, 2026. For the Class of 2030:

• Applicants: 65,514 (7,919 Early Decision and 57,595 Regular Decision)
• Admitted: 6,040 (1,653 in the Early Decision round and 4,387 in the Regular Decision round)
• Expected to enroll: 3,681
• Acceptance rate: 9.2% (our calculation: 6,040 ÷ 65,514)

That is about 1 admit per 11 applicants. Cornell also offered 8,922 applicants a place on the waitlist.

How the Cornell acceptance rate changed

IRP's trend data, with our rate calculations:

Cornell admits a similar number of students each year, so the rate moves with applications. For fall 2026, applications fell by about 7,000 while admits stayed near 6,000. Cornell's Common Data Set (CDS) for fall 2025 agrees: 6,077 of 72,523, about 8.4%.

Cornell Early Decision vs Regular Decision acceptance rate

Cornell offers binding Early Decision (ED) and Regular Decision (RD), with no Early Action. If you are admitted ED, you must withdraw all other applications.

• Fall 2026, ED round: 1,653 of 7,919 admitted, about 20.9%.
• Fall 2026, RD round: 4,387 admitted from 57,595 RD applicants, at most about 7.6%. Some RD-round admits were deferred ED applicants, so the true RD rate is a little lower.
• Fall 2025 (CDS): 1,889 of 10,057 ED applicants admitted, about 18.8%. All other applicants: 4,188 of 62,466, about 6.7%.

ED also shapes the class: 1,608 of the 3,681 students expected in fall 2026, about 44%, came through ED. The ED pool is self-selected, so the gap does not show how much applying early helps any one student. Apply ED when Cornell, and one Cornell college, is your clear first choice. For how the plans compare, see early decision vs early action.

Cornell acceptance rate by college

You apply to one undergraduate college or school, and each admits its own class. IRP's factbook filters by college. Fall 2025 is the newest year it shows (rates are our calculations):

Cornell Engineering admitted about 6.6% in fall 2025. At that rate, a perfect transcript is only the entry ticket. Show me what gets past it →

In-state, out-of-state and international rates

The fall 2025 CDS splits applicants by residency:

• New York residents: 1,720 of 12,978 admitted, about 13.3%
• Out-of-state U.S. applicants: 3,693 of 40,979, about 9.0%
• International applicants: 664 of 18,566, about 3.6%

Cornell SAT, ACT and GPA

Cornell requires the SAT or ACT. You may self-report scores. Cornell uses your highest section scores and the ACT superscore, and it does not require the ACT science section.

Middle 50% scores of students who enrolled in fall 2025 (CDS):

• SAT composite: 1490 to 1550 (median 1530)
• SAT Math: 770 to 800
• SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 730 to 770
• ACT composite: 33 to 35 (median 34)

Cornell publishes no GPA data. Of the 12% of fall 2025 students who reported a class rank, 84% were in the top tenth. See what is a good SAT score, and use the high school GPA calculator for your own numbers.

What Cornell looks for

Cornell's CDS rates six factors "very important": course rigor, the essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent and character. GPA and class rank are "important." Test scores and the interview are "considered." Your level of interest is "not considered."

The college pages name research directly. Duffield Engineering lists "Community engagement. Extracurricular activities. Work experience. Research. Leadership. Family responsibilities." Agriculture and Life Sciences asks, "How have you demonstrated your passion for learning?"

A research project carried from a question to a finished paper answers both. It gives your college essay specific material and gives a teacher something concrete to describe. See whether research helps college admissions.

Cornell lists research among what it reviews. Writing "research" on a form is easy. A project you can defend in an interview is rare. Send me the insider research guide →

Cornell supplemental essays for fall 2027

Cornell's supplement includes only the essay or essays of the college you choose. Word for word, from each college's admissions page:

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (two essays, 350 words each) 1. "What interests you about the major you selected? Tell us about experiences (both in and outside of the classroom), questions, and goals that influenced your choice." 2. "What draws you to Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)? Reflect on the learning, community, or impact opportunities that matter most to you, and share how they align with Cornell CALS (as you understand it currently)."

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (650 words) - Architecture: "Describe how your interests connect to architecture. Include an example of a creative project, design experience, or personal passion that sparked your interest in pursuing a 5-year professional degree in architecture. Reflect on how this experience shaped your understanding of the field and your motivation to study architecture." - Fine Arts: "Submit an artist statement describing your creative interests and practice. Address how your work reflects your artistic voice, influences, and process, and how studying art at Cornell AAP would support and expand your practice." - Urban and Regional Studies: "Describe your interest in urban and regional studies. Discuss experiences, ideas, or issues that have shaped your interest in cities, communities, and regional systems, and explain how URS at Cornell aligns with your academic and career goals."

College of Arts and Sciences (650 words) "At the College of Arts and Sciences, your education is yours to shape. Describe an intellectual passion, question, or idea that has captured your attention—whether it emerges from your studies or extends beyond your coursework. What specific aspects of our liberal arts curriculum would you draw on to explore and connect your varied interests?"

Duffield College of Engineering (two 200-word essays, four 100-word answers) 1. "Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering?" 2. "Why do you think you would love to study at Duffield Engineering?" 3. "What brings you joy?" 4. "What do you believe you will contribute to the Duffield Engineering community beyond what you've already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring?" 5. "What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you." 6. "What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you."

College of Human Ecology (550 words) "The College of Human Ecology prepares students to respond to human needs through an education organized around the interconnected issues that profoundly affect individuals, communities, and the institutions that shape our lives. Think about an extracurricular/community engagement/work experience that most closely connects you to the CHE mission and your intended choice of major. Tell us what that experience taught you about your broader community and its needs, and the impact you can make. How will your intended CHE major help you make that impact?"

Brooks School of Public Policy (650 words; DC Start adds 350 words) - "Discuss your interest in pursuing a major in policy at the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and what draws you to this field of study. You are encouraged to consider including details related to your personal experiences, values, academic influences, or extracurricular activities that have shaped your perspective and future goals." - DC Start only: "Please describe why you are interested in being considered for the Brooks School DC Start program."

SC Johnson College of Business: Dyson and Nolan (650 words) "What kind of business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (the Dyson School or the Nolan School)."

School of Industrial and Labor Relations (650 words) "Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School."

For your main essay, see the Common App essay prompts.

Arts and Sciences asks about "an intellectual passion, question, or idea." The best answers come from someone who has chased one for months. Send me the mentors' ideas for this essay →

Cornell deadlines for fall 2027

• Early Decision: application and any portfolio by November 1, 2026; other materials by November 13. Decisions in mid-December.
• Regular Decision: application and any portfolio by January 2, 2027; other materials by January 19. Decisions in late March.

You need a counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations. Engineering needs one from a math, science or computer science teacher. The fee is $85, and waivers are available.

Is Cornell public or private?

Private. Cornell calls itself "a private, Ivy League university and the land-grant university for New York state." Some colleges are New York State contract colleges, "established by an act of the New York State Legislature," operated by Cornell and funded in part under contract with the state: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, Industrial and Labor Relations, the Dyson School and the Brooks School (Bachelor of Science students). The rest are endowed.

How much does Cornell cost?

Cornell's 2026–27 cost of attendance is $99,734 before aid, including $73,946 in tuition. New York residents in a contract college pay $49,816 in tuition, $75,604 in total. Cornell meets 100% of admitted undergraduates' demonstrated need. Families earning up to $125,000 with typical assets receive grant aid that covers tuition.

Frequently asked questions

What GPA do I need to get into Cornell? Cornell sets no minimum and publishes no GPA data. It rates GPA "important" and course rigor "very important."

Is Cornell or NYU harder to get into? On the fall 2025 Common Data Sets, Cornell admitted about 8.4% and NYU about 9.1%. See the NYU acceptance rate.

Is Cornell the easiest Ivy? Cornell had the highest rate of the eight Ivies on the fall 2025 Common Data Sets, about 8.4%, against 6.3% at Brown. It still admits only about 1 in 11 applicants. See the Ivy League schools.

Sources

• Cornell IRP, Factbook: First-Year Admissions (Fall 2026)
• Cornell IRP, Factbook: Undergraduate Admissions trend data by college
• Cornell Common Data Set 2025–2026 (PDF)
• Cornell Admissions, First-Year Applicants
• Cornell Admissions, Standardized Testing Policy
• Cornell Admissions college pages: CALS, AAP, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Human Ecology, Brooks, SC Johnson, ILR
• Cornell Financial Aid, Cost to Attend
• Cornell Financial Aid, Eligibility
• Cornell Chronicle, 2026-27 budget parameters
• Cornell, Mission and Vision
• NYU Common Data Set 2025–2026 (PDF)

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