Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Cornell - 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 (#55 vs #12). 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 Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Cornell for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
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 | Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Cornell |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #55 | #12 |
| Rank · THE | #46 | #20 |
| Acceptance rate | 42.37% | 8.41% |
| Yield rate | 28.8% | 63.9% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 73,742 | 65,612 |
| International students | 14.9% | 10.3% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $81K | $104K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $55K | $67K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $117K | $166K |
| Graduation rate | 85.1% | 95.4% |
| Retention rate | 94.8% | 98.1% |
| Median debt | $19,500 | $14,000 |
| Tuition · year | $38,400 | $72,270 |
| Avg. aid package | $23,217 | $64,225 |
| % of need met | 0.8% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $22,395 | $29,441 |
| Application fee | $50 | $80 |
| Enrollment | 59,238 | 26,793 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Cornell?
It's harder to get into Cornell. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Cornell accepts 8.41%.
Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Cornell graduates earn more?
Cornell graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $104K vs $81K.
How much is tuition at Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Cornell?
Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $72,270 per year at Cornell.
What SAT score do you need for Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Cornell?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1540 at Cornell; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Cornell?
Cornell ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #12 for Cornell.
Which university offers more financial aid - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Cornell?
The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $64,225 at Cornell.
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