Cornell Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Cornell University Admission Requirements and Statistics

How hard is Cornell University to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Cornell University (Cornell)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Cornell's acceptance rate is 8.76% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 62,993 students applied and 5,516 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is very low, which means it is very hard to get into Cornell.

To apply to Cornell, recommendations and personal statement (or essay) are required to submit. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered (required).

Cornell's acceptance rate is the 2nd lowest among 167 New York colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1540 and the ACT score is 34 at Cornell. Cornell's SAT score is 2nd highest among 89 New York colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
Cornell's yield rate is 63.91%, which is marginally higher by 1.19 percentage points (approximately 1.9% higher) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 0% and 10% (average yield: 62.72%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Cornell at colleges with acceptance rates lower than 10%. Moreover, you can check only New York colleges with acceptance rates between 0% and 10%. This comparison helps contextualize Cornell's yield rate within its selectivity range.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Cornell's acceptance rate is 8.76% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 63.91%. 32,321 men and 30,643 women applied to Cornell and 2,529 men and 2,987 women students were accepted.

Among them, 1,648 men and 1,877 women were enrolled in Cornell. You can explore the Cornell's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Cornell
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	62,993	32,321	30,643	29	0
Admitted	5,516	2,529	2,987	0	0
Enrolled	3,525	1,648	1,877	0	0
Acceptance Rate	8.76%	7.82%	9.75%	0.00%	-
Yield	63.91%	65.16%	62.84%	-	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Cornell University 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 1,424 students (40% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 455 students (13% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Cornell.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,540, including 750 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 790 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 770 and the 25th percentile is 730. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 800 and the 25th percentile is 770.

The median ACT composite score is 34, with a 75th percentile score of 35 and a 25th percentile score of 33 at Cornell. The median ACT Math score is 35 and the median ACT English score is 35.

How competitive is Cornell's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Cornell University are similar to the average score compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,497, ACT: 34 - private (not-for-profit) research university with very high research activity).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Cornell
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,500	1,540	1,570
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	730	750	770
SAT Math	770	790	800
ACT Composite	33	34	35
ACT Math	33	35	35
ACT English	35	35	36

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Cornell University 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School Record (or Transcript), Recommendations, English Proficiency Test, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not required, but considered in admission process at Cornell. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Cornell University.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Cornell Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Considered, if submitted
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Considered, if submitted
Recommendations	Required
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Considered, if submitted
SAT / ACT	Considered, if submitted
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Considered, if submitted
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Considered, if submitted

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Cornell:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Graduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: https://admissions.cornell.edu/
Online Application: https://www.commonapp.org/
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: Bachelor, Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice)

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What is the acceptance rate at the Cornell?

Cornell is extremely competitive to get into, with an acceptance rate of 8.76%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Cornell?

Cornell recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to Cornell is 1,540, and the average ACT score is 34. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does Cornell require essays or personal statements?

Yes, Cornell requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for Cornell admission?

Yes, Cornell requires applicants to submit a recommendation letter as part of the application.

Is there an application fee?

Cornell does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Cornell requires applicants to submit high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, Cornell requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Cornell?

The institutional SAT code for Cornell is 2098 and 4-digit ACT code is 2726.