Cornell vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Cornell admits 8.4% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4%.
Real money goes to international students at Cornell ($84,351 on average), while Illinois Urbana-Champaign stops at $5,836.
The cheaper tuition belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $38,400 against $72,270, or $33,870 less a year.
The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Cornell: $104K against $81K.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Cornell is the more selective of the two (8.41% vs 42.37% acceptance). Cornell ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#12 vs #55). Cornell graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $72,270 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Cornell for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Cornell is more selective (8.41% vs 42.37% acceptance); Cornell has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Cornell graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $81K); Cornell has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.4% vs 85.1%).
Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $72,270); Cornell offers a larger average aid package ($64,225 vs $23,217).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Cornell | Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #12 | #55 |
| Rank · THE | #20 | #46 |
| Acceptance rate | 8.41% | 42.37% |
| Yield rate | 63.9% | 28.8% |
| Median SAT | 1540 | 1470 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 65,612 | 73,742 |
| International students | 10.3% | 14.9% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $104K | $81K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $67K | $55K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $166K | $117K |
| Graduation rate | 95.4% | 85.1% |
| Retention rate | 98.1% | 94.8% |
| Median debt | $14,000 | $19,500 |
| Tuition · year | $72,270 | $38,400 |
| Avg. aid package | $64,225 | $23,217 |
| % of need met | 100% | 0.8% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $29,441 | $22,395 |
| Application fee | $80 | $50 |
| Enrollment | 26,793 | 59,238 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Cornell or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
It's harder to get into Cornell. Cornell accepts 8.41% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.
Do Cornell or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?
Cornell graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $104K vs $81K.
How much is tuition at Cornell vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Sticker-price tuition is $72,270 per year at Cornell and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
What SAT score do you need for Cornell or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The median admitted SAT score is 1540 at Cornell and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Cornell or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Cornell ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #12 for Cornell vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Which university offers more financial aid - Cornell or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The average aid package is $64,225 at Cornell and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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