First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Early decision Apply early, hear early, and you must enroll if admitted. Binding. | November 1, 2026 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | January 2, 2027 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: admissions.cornell.edu · checked September 26, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, all students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | Cornell University course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4 | 4 a) For Biological Sciences Majors: General…4 a) For Biological Sciences Majors: General elective credit is awarded. This credit can be applied toward the 120 credits required for graduation, but it cannot be used to fulfill requirements for the Biological Sciences major. b) For Non-Biological Sciences Majors: Placement out of 4 credits of Introductory Biology Cluster Courses is permitted. Students are encouraged to confirm with their major department how this placement applies to their specific degree requirements. | |
| Chemistry | 5 | 4 a) Placement out of CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071 or…4 a) Placement out of CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071 or CHEM 2090 & CHEM 2091. b) A student taking CHEM 1560 & CHEM 1561, CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071, or CHEM 2090 & CHEM 2091 will forfeit AP credit. Students taking CHEM 2150 will retain AP credit. c) A student may also receive credit for CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071, or CHEM 2090 & CHEM 2091 by passing an exam given during Fall orientation. d) A distinct exam is given before the start of the Spring semester that, if passed, will allow a student to receive credit for CHEM 2080 & CHEM 2081. See the Chemistry department website for further information. | |
| English Language and Composition | N/A Varies by college. | ||
| English Literature and Composition | N/A Varies by college. | ||
| Psychology | 4 | 3 Placement out of PSYCH 1101. | |
| Computer Science A | 5 | 4 Placement out of CS 1110. | |
| Macroeconomics | 5 | 3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced…3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced placement credit to satisfy the ECON 1120 prerequisite for the Economics Major and to count ECON 1120 as one of the 12 courses needed to complete the Economics Major, students must in addition pass the Macroeconomics Placement Exam during orientation; otherwise, students must take ECON 1120 at Cornell. (Exception: a placement exam is not required for students who matriculated as a full-time student at a college or university prior to May 1, 2026). b) All other students: All other students: Placement out of ECON 1120. | |
| Microeconomics | 5 | 3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced…3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced placement credit to satisfy the ECON 1110 prerequisite for the Economics Major and to count ECON 1110 as one of the 12 courses needed to complete the Economics Major, students must in addition pass the Microeconomics Placement Exam during orientation; otherwise, students must take ECON 1110 at Cornell. (Exception: a placement exam is not required for students who matriculated as a full-time student at a college or university prior to May 1, 2026). b) Nolan School students will receive credit for HADM 1410. c) All other students: Placement out of ECON 1110. |
Show all 36 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4 | 4 a) For Biological Sciences Majors: General…4 a) For Biological Sciences Majors: General elective credit is awarded. This credit can be applied toward the 120 credits required for graduation, but it cannot be used to fulfill requirements for the Biological Sciences major. b) For Non-Biological Sciences Majors: Placement out of 4 credits of Introductory Biology Cluster Courses is permitted. Students are encouraged to confirm with their major department how this placement applies to their specific degree requirements. | |
| Biology | 5 | 8 a) For Biological Sciences Majors: General…8 a) For Biological Sciences Majors: General elective credit is awarded. This credit can be applied toward the 120 credits required for graduation, but it cannot be used to fulfill requirements for the Biological Sciences major. b) For Non-Biological Sciences Majors: Placement out of 8 credits of Introductory Biology Cluster Courses is permitted. Students are encouraged to confirm with their major department how this placement applies to their specific degree requirements. | |
| Chemistry | 5 | 4 a) Placement out of CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071 or…4 a) Placement out of CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071 or CHEM 2090 & CHEM 2091. b) A student taking CHEM 1560 & CHEM 1561, CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071, or CHEM 2090 & CHEM 2091 will forfeit AP credit. Students taking CHEM 2150 will retain AP credit. c) A student may also receive credit for CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071, or CHEM 2090 & CHEM 2091 by passing an exam given during Fall orientation. d) A distinct exam is given before the start of the Spring semester that, if passed, will allow a student to receive credit for CHEM 2080 & CHEM 2081. See the Chemistry department website for further information. | |
| English Language and Composition | N/A Varies by college. | ||
| English Literature and Composition | N/A Varies by college. | ||
| Psychology | 4 | 3 Placement out of PSYCH 1101. | |
| Computer Science A | 5 | 4 Placement out of CS 1110. | |
| Macroeconomics | 5 | 3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced…3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced placement credit to satisfy the ECON 1120 prerequisite for the Economics Major and to count ECON 1120 as one of the 12 courses needed to complete the Economics Major, students must in addition pass the Macroeconomics Placement Exam during orientation; otherwise, students must take ECON 1120 at Cornell. (Exception: a placement exam is not required for students who matriculated as a full-time student at a college or university prior to May 1, 2026). b) All other students: All other students: Placement out of ECON 1120. | |
| Microeconomics | 5 | 3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced…3 a) For Economics Majors: To use advanced placement credit to satisfy the ECON 1110 prerequisite for the Economics Major and to count ECON 1110 as one of the 12 courses needed to complete the Economics Major, students must in addition pass the Microeconomics Placement Exam during orientation; otherwise, students must take ECON 1110 at Cornell. (Exception: a placement exam is not required for students who matriculated as a full-time student at a college or university prior to May 1, 2026). b) Nolan School students will receive credit for HADM 1410. c) All other students: Placement out of ECON 1110. | |
| World History: Modern | |||
| European History | |||
| Human Geography | |||
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 3 Students should take the LPS3 and afterward the…3 Students should take the LPS3 and afterward the CASE2 to obtain appropriate placement. | |
| Computer Science Principles | |||
| Art History | |||
| Music Theory | |||
| Comparative Government and Politics | |||
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 3 a) With a score of 4, placement into FREN 2090…3 a) With a score of 4, placement into FREN 2090 or equivalent. b) With a score of 5, Department of Romance Studies determines placement. Students should take the CASE2 to obtain appropriate placement. | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | N/A Department of German Studies determines…N/A Department of German Studies determines credit and placement based on departmental examination (0 or 3 credits). | |
| Government and Politics, US | |||
| Greek, Ancient | N/A Department of Classics determines placement…N/A Department of Classics determines placement based on CASE | ||
| Hebrew | N/A Department of Near Eastern Studies determines…N/A Department of Near Eastern Studies determines credit and placement based on CASE | ||
| History, American | |||
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 3 Department of Romance Studies determines…3 Department of Romance Studies determines placement based on CASE | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | N/A Department of Asian Studies determines credit…N/A Department of Asian Studies determines credit and placement based on CASE | ||
| Latin | N/A Department of Classics determines placement…N/A Department of Classics determines placement based on CASE | ||
| Mathematics AB or AB subscore of the Mathematics BC exam for non-engineering majors | 4 | 4 Placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110) for…4 Placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110) for non-engineering majors. Alternatively, credit may be obtained by passing a placement exam during orientation. Students will forfeit credit if they take MATH 1106 or MATH 1110. | |
| Mathematics BC for engineering majors | 5 | 4 Placement out of MATH 1910. Students with a…4 Placement out of MATH 1910. Students with a score of 4 are encouraged to take the CASE if they believe their score does not fairly reflect their preparation. Students will forfeit credit if they take MATH 1910 | |
| Mathematics BC for non-engineering majors | 4 | 8 Placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110) and…8 Placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110) and Calculus II (MATH 1120). Alternatively, credit may be obtained by passing a placement exam during orientation. Students will forfeit 4 credits if they take MATH 1120 or MATH 1910. Students will forfeit all 8 credits if they take MATH 1106 or MATH 1110. | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | 4 Placement out of PHYS 2213. Students planning…4 Placement out of PHYS 2213. Students planning to continue with PHYS 2214 must first complete PHYS 1110 unless it was taken with PHYS 1112 or PHYS 1116. Students intending to major in physics are recommended to forfeit all credit and take PHYS 1116. | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | 3 or 4 Placement out of PHYS 1112 (for 3 credits)…3 or 4 Placement out of PHYS 1112 (for 3 credits) or PHYS 2207 (for 4 credits). Students given credit for PHYS 1112 must enroll in PHYS 1110. Students intending to major in physics are recommended to forfeit all credit and take PHYS 1116. Students in CALS majoring in BEE can only be assigned credit for PHYS 1112 per their major requirements. | |
| Physics I | 5 | 4 Placement out of PHYS 2207 OR forfeit credit…4 Placement out of PHYS 2207 OR forfeit credit and take PHYS 1116 | |
| Physics II | 5 | 4 Placement out of PHYS 2208 OR forfeit credit…4 Placement out of PHYS 2208 OR forfeit credit and take PHYS 1116 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 3 Department of Romance Studies determines…3 Department of Romance Studies determines placement. Students should take the LPS3 and afterward the CASE2 to obtain appropriate placement. | |
| Statistics (excluding Engineering, Nolan School and Brooks School students) | 4 | 4 Placement out of AEM 2100, BTRY 3010, BTRY…4 Placement out of AEM 2100, BTRY 3010, BTRY 6010, CRP 1200, ENGRD 2700, ILRST 2100, ILRST 6100, PUBPOL 2100, PSYCH 2500, SOC 3010, STSCI 2100, STSCI 2150, STSCI 2200. Biological Sciences majors, Brooks students, CALS students, Engineering students, Nolan School students and URS majors should refer to their college listing. | |
| Turkish | N/A Department of Near Eastern Studies determines…N/A Department of Near Eastern Studies determines credit and placement based on CASE | ||
| Yiddish | N/A Program of Jewish Studies determines credit…N/A Program of Jewish Studies determines credit and placement based on CASE |
Source: courses.cornell.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | 467 |
| Labor and Industrial Relations | 286 |
| Hotel/Motel Administration/Management | 271 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 264 |
| Agricultural Economics | 243 |
| Information Technology | 206 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 152 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 139 |
Show the other 67 majors
| Political Science and Government | 106 |
| Human Biology | 96 |
| Environmental Science | 95 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | 83 |
| Communication | 75 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 72 |
| Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology | 67 |
| Animal Sciences | 66 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 64 |
| Psychology | 63 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 62 |
| Mathematics | 60 |
| Operations Research | 56 |
| Agriculture | 56 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 55 |
| Chemical Engineering | 35 |
| Chemistry | 34 |
| Civil Engineering | 33 |
| Physics | 31 |
| Engineering Physics/Applied Physics | 29 |
| English Language and Literature | 28 |
| International Public Health/International Health | 28 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 27 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 26 |
| Materials Engineering | 26 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 26 |
| Biometry/Biometrics | 25 |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | 24 |
| Apparel and Textiles | 23 |
| Sociology | 22 |
| History | 21 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 20 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 20 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other | 20 |
| Food Science | 20 |
| Plant Sciences | 20 |
| Philosophy | 19 |
| General Studies | 18 |
| Landscape Architecture | 16 |
| Statistics | 16 |
| Rural Sociology | 15 |
| International Agriculture | 11 |
| Health Policy Analysis | 10 |
| Entomology | 10 |
| American/United States Studies/Civilization | 10 |
| Linguistics | 8 |
| Astronomy | 8 |
| Viticulture and Enology | 7 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 7 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | 7 |
| Comparative Literature | 6 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 6 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 |
| Anthropology | 6 |
| Development Economics and International Development | 6 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 6 |
| Asian Studies/Civilization | 5 |
| Textile Science | 5 |
| Music | 5 |
| Science, Technology and Society | 4 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 4 |
| Archeology | 3 |
| Engineering | 3 |
| Gay/Lesbian Studies | 3 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 1 |
| Cognitive Science | 1 |
| Near and Middle Eastern Studies | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where Cornell University ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #1 for Hospitality managementof 50 colleges
- #1 for Human resourcesof 50 colleges
- #1 for Wildlife biologyof 50 colleges
- #2 for Industrial engineeringof 50 colleges
- #3 for Environmental engineeringof 50 colleges
- #4 for Software engineeringof 50 colleges
- #6 for Biomedical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #6 for Computer scienceof 50 colleges
Show the other 15 ranked programs
- #6 for Information technologyof 50 colleges
- #6 for Materials science and engineeringof 49 colleges
- #6 for Mechanical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #6 for Public healthof 50 colleges
- #7 for Businessof 50 colleges
- #7 for Electrical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #8 for Biologyof 50 colleges
- #8 for Chemical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #9 for Chemistryof 50 colleges
- #10 for Civil engineeringof 50 colleges
- #10 for Mathematicsof 50 colleges
- #12 for Economicsof 50 colleges
- #12 for Statisticsof 50 colleges
- #13 for Physicsof 50 colleges
- #15 for Geology and earth sciencesof 50 colleges
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Ivy League
Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Other Sports, Rowing, Soccer, Squash, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Wrestling
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Ivy League
Basketball, Equestrian, Fencing, Field Hockey, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Other Sports, Rowing, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball
ROTC
Air Force, Army, Navy
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection
Also
Study abroad
Greek life
19% of men in fraternities · 16% of women in sororities · 17% of undergraduates overall (Common Data Set 2024–25)
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), Common Data Set (Greek life), connection.newmanministry.com · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, small
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Ithaca, NY
105,602 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
No
More about the place
Nearest airport
Ithaca Tompkins International (ITH)
Nearest hub airport
Buffalo Niagara International (BUF)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 10.8 of 20
Elevation
818 ft
Time zone
Eastern
January low
15°F
July high
80°F
Annual snowfall
62.9 in
Days at 90°F or higher
5 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$1,630 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- Ithaca College2 mi
- State University of New York at Cortland18 mi
- Elmira College30 mi
- Keuka College33 mi
- Binghamton University36 mi
- Hobart William Smith Colleges38 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- Northeastern University15,891 students
- Syracuse University15,739 students
- St. John's University-New York15,699 students
- Baylor University15,155 students
- DePaul University14,374 students
- Drexel University13,589 students