Cornell University

Yes, Cornell actively recruits and welcomes Indian talent, with many already enrolled there. In fact, Indian students are one of the largest groups at Cornell. 

As per the selectivity, the Cornell admissions are brutal with its acceptance rate going as low as 8.9%. It is even less for international students. 

Also, Indian students are eligible to apply for the Tata Scholarship, which funds 20 UG students every year. It covers the Cornell tuition for the full duration of 4 years Bachelors degree. 

It is not called a fake Ivy, at least not officially. Cornell University remains a fully legitimate and important member of the Ivy League athletic conference. The below given maybe the reasons for Cornell being called a fake Ivy -

• While being selective, Cornell acceptance rate is much higher than that of other members of the Ivy League like Harvard and Stanford. 
• Cornell is the the youngest Ivy League with its founding year 1865. Unlike older Ivies built for the rich, this university was founded on modern and egalitarian principles which advocated inclusion of all races and genders from day 1.

Yes, Cornell University is an Ivy League university. It is privately endowed research university. The university is located in Ithaca, New York. The main campus of the university i.e. Ithaca provides the experience of a traditional college campus, residence halls, eateries, academic buildings, libraries, and research facilities. But, because of the natural beauty, the nearby lake, natural waterfalls, and gardens sets the campus apart from other universities in Ivy League. The Ivy League universities is a group of prestigious private universities in the US, which are known for their academic excellence, rich history and selective admission process.

Cornell University is a very competitive university when it comes to admissions. Its acceptance rate is a proof of that. Cornell University acceptance rate is 8.9%. The Class of 2029 admitted 5,800+ students. To prepare for Cornell application, follow the steps given below: 

• Understanding entry requirements
• Prepare early for the application as possible
• Regularly check the emails
•  Submit the required documents such as portfolios

Also Read: <a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/ivy-league-universities-what-is-all-the-hype-about-articlepage-51">What are Ivy League Universities in USA? </a>

Yes, Cornell requires students to submit an English language proficiency score. UG international students can submit IELTS / TOEFL / Duolingo test scores. For PG courses, students can submit IELTS / TOEFL scores. The minimum scores required for admission to Graduate courses can vary. The minimum test scores required for admission to UG courses are:

Tests

Minimum Score

IELTS

7.5

TOEFL

100

Duolingo

130

The duration of <a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/m-eng-in-computer-science">Cornell University Master of Engineering (MEng) in Computer Science</a> is two-semester professional degree program. It is designed to enhance practical skills and roughly involves six courses and a project. If students have majored in CS or a related field as an Undergraduate, then this course can be studied to deepen technical expertise. The applicants of this course are also applicable for Computer Science Master of Engineering Diversity Scholarship.

To get into Cornell University MS in CS, the applicants should apply online through the Graduate School. The entry requirements are given below: 

• A Bachelor's degree in CS is required
• Academic transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• An essay 
• IELTS score of 7.0 / TOEFL 
• GRE scores

Yes, Cornell is an NCAA Division I institution. The university offers 37 varsity sports teams for men and women. The athletic teams of this university are known as the Cornell Big Red. Furthermore, this university is home to one of the largest intramural sports programs in the country and the most comprehensive collegiate outdoor education programme in the U.S. Apart from the athletics, there are intramural sports available too for students. Students can find more than 30 leagues and tournaments each academic year.

As such, no minimum score has been mentioned by Cornell for admission to MBA. However, for the MBA Class Profile of 2025 and 2024, the average GMAT score of students is 710. Generally, the average score required is between 660 and 760. Apart from this, the applicants should submit academic records and transcripts, resume, TOEFL / IELTS score, a LOR, etc.

The athletic teams of Cornell are known by the name Cornell Big Red. The university has 37 varsity sports teams for men and women. It is NCAA Division I institution. The varsity athletic teams of this university consistently challenge for NCAA Division I titles in a number of sports, including men's wrestling, men's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, and rowing. Some of the athletic teams at this university are:

• Men's sports teams at the university are baseball, football, golf, basketball, soccer, tennis, swimming & diving, etc.
• Women's sports teams are tennis, basketball, softball, field hockey, track & field, etc.

Cornell University was the last to join the Ivy League and is also the youngest. Founded in 1865, Cornell was approximately 95 years younger than the second Ivy, Dartmouth College. Cornell is one of the eight member schools of the Ivy League. It is a private Ivy League land-grant research university located in Ithaca, New York. The other members of the Ivy League are Brown University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Princeton University.

The late Ratan Tata was one of India's most influential and respected business leaders and philanthropists. He is a former Cornell trustee who became the university's the largest international donor. He graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1962. He initially joined the College of Engineering at the time of the enrollment at Cornell.

Famous personalities who have studied at Cornell include Toni Morrison (novelist, author), Gillian Anderson (Actress), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Lawyer and Jurist), Tsai Ing-Wen (Politician and Legal Scholar), Christopher Reeve (Actor, Activist, Director), Bill Nye (TV Presenter), Jimmy Smits (Actor), William Sadley (Actor), etc. 

Many famous celebrities studies at Cornell University including Gillian Anderson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Toni Morrison, Lee Teng-hui, etc.

Names

Designation

Gillian Anderson

Actress

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

American Lawyer and Jurist

Toni Morrison

Novelist

Lee Teng-hui

Taiwanese Statesman and Agriclturist

Bill Nye

Mechanical Engineer, Science Communicator, & TV Presenter

Christopher Reeve

Actor, Author, Film Director, Activist

Ratan Tata

Former Chairperson of Tata Group

Pawan Kumar Goenka

Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.  

Yes, Cornell Uni international students can work part-time. Students may work up to 20 hours per week when the classes are in session. During the winter and summer breaks, students can work full-time or part-time. Popular part-time jobs in the US are Barista, Teaching Assistant, Catering Assistant, Tour Guide, Campus tech support, etc. 

For the MBA graduates of Cornell Class of 2025, the placement rate is 85%. In other words, 83% of the graduates accepted job offers within the 3 months of graduation. The median salary is USD 175,000. Industries where these MBA graduates are working are Financial Services, Consulting, Energy, Consumer Packaged Goods, etc.

81% of Cornell University's MBA graduates received job offers within three months of graduation. The average Cornell MBA salary (median) is USD 175,000. As per the employment report, almost one-third of the graduates are employed in Consulting. Almost one-third are employed in Consulting and Technology & Telecommunications also have high employment rates. 

The top companies who have hired UG students of Class of 2025 Cornell University are-

• Amazon
• Morgan Stanley
• Accenture 
• IBM
• Meta
• Capital One
• Deloitte Consulting
• JP Morgan Chase & Co. 

Top MBA recruiters for the Class of 2025 are Amazon, EY, McKinsey & Company, Royal Bank of Canada, EY, Bain & Company, etc. 

If students meet the minimum GPA of 2.7 out of 4.0 and have UG degree in a STEM field, they are eligible. Application materials required are:

• Online application
• Statement of Purpose
• Academic transcripts
• Technical writing sample
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Application fee
• Resume

Here are Cornell University MEng in Engineering Management requirements:

• A bachelor's degree from a variety of STEM backgrounds. Accepted applicants have a sequence of Math that includes Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Calculus 3, Differential Equations, Probability and Statistics course
• No work experience is required
• Online application
• Academic SOP
• Academic transcripts
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Application fee
• English language proficiency score
• Technical writing sample

Cornell University entry requirements for Indian Undergraduate and Graduate applicants are:

• UG: The applicants must have passed Secondary School. Also, do check the college-wise requirements too. From Fall 2026 session, SAT / ACT score will also be required. An English language proficiency score is also required
• PG: A Bachelor's degree in the relevant discipline is required. Additionally, an English language proficiency score, academic Statement of Purpose, standardized test scores, LOR etc. are also required

Indian students aiming to get admission to Cornell University must meet the admission requirements for undergraduate or graduate courses. Given below are Cornell University admission requirements for international students:

Undergraduate Courses

• The applicants are required to have official high school transcripts. The university needs official high school / secondary school transcripts for grades 9-11 and 12th grades in-progress (English translation)
• Mid-year report / transcript (only required if the applicants are yet to complete Class 12)
• Supplemental materials (As required by course)
• SAT / ACT test scores (Test-optional for 2024 applicants)
• School report
• Counselor letter of recommendation
• Two teacher recommendations

Graduate Courses

• Indian applicants aiming to get admission to Cornell University graduate courses, should have a bachelor’s degree and / or master’s degree / any professional exam and / or membership (as required)

Doctoral and Research Master’s Degrees

• The applicants are required to have at least 4-year undergraduate degree, or a 3-year degree + post-graduate Diploma

Professional Master’s Degree Programs

• The applicants are required to have a 3-year’s bachelor’s degree if your school is accredited by NAAC and has a grade of A, and if their class rank is Division I and II 

Also Read: Requirements to Study in USA for International Students 

Cornell Uni meets 100% of the admitted international undergraduates' demonstrated financial need with annual aid offers that comprises Cornell grants, reasonable student loans depending on the total family income, and an annual work-study award. To get the financial aid, complete the financial aid application no later than the application deadline. 

To get a Tata Scholarship for Cornell University, the eligible students must fulfill the below-given criteria:

• Should be a citizen of India who has attended a Secondary School in India
• Must have been offered admission to Cornell as a UG student
• Must be eligible for need-based financial aid

The Tata Scholarship gives preference to qualified students accepted to Cornell’s following programs:

• College of Engineering
• College of Architecture, Art and Planning
• Applied Economics and Management major in the Cornell Johnson College of Business
• Majors across Colleges in Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and other Sciences, as well as the Social Sciences

UG applicants will be considered for this scholarship if they complete the admission application and apply for financial aid.

Cornell offers need-based financial aid to admitted international students who have applied for financial aid and have demonstrated financial aid. So, admission decision for financial decisions are need-based. This means that applications for international students are evaluated for admission with consideration of the ability of parents or students to pay the educational costs. The university aims to meet 100% of the admitted international undergraduates' demonstrated financial need.

For the two-year MBA course at Cornell University, the tuition fee is USD 86,596 and the student activity fee is USD 110. Other fees that students have to pay are: 

The tuition fee at Cornell Uni range between INR 18.4 lakh - INR 1.19 Cr. The course-wise tuition wise is given below: 

Courses

1st Year Tuition Fees

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/ms-bc?scrollToBipTuples">MS</a> (47 courses)

INR 18 L - 55 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/mba-pgdm-bc?scrollToBipTuples">MBA/PGDM </a>(15 courses)

INR 18 L - 1 Cr

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/others-pg-bc?scrollToBipTuples">Others PG </a>(1 course)

INR 55 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/meng-bc?scrollToBipTuples">MEng </a>(13 courses)

INR 25 L - 58 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/magri-bc?scrollToBipTuples">M.Agri </a>(7 courses)

INR 18 L - 38 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/ma-bc?scrollToBipTuples">MA </a>(13 courses)

INR 18 L - 32 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/mim-bc?scrollToBipTuples">MIM </a>(9 courses)

INR 18 L - 55 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/ba-bc?scrollToBipTuples">BA </a>(31 courses)

INR 55 L - 58 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/be-btech-bc?scrollToBipTuples">BE / BTech </a>(13 courses)

INR 55 L - 58 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/bsc-bc?scrollToBipTuples">BSc </a>(20 courses)

INR 55 L - 56 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/bagri-bc?scrollToBipTuples">B.Agri </a>(4 courses)

INR 55 L - 56 L

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/courses/march-bc?scrollToBipTuples">M.Arch </a>(6 courses)

INR 25 L - 55 L

Cornell University Master of Health Administration duration is 2 years. For one-year, <a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/master-of-health-administration">Cornell MHA</a> will cost around USD 85,376 (Around INR 73.6 L). For this course, Cornell follows a holistic admission policy. To get admission to this course, the applicants are required to have a Bachelor's degree. Also, full-time work experience and healthcare experience are preferred but not required. A GPA of 3.0 or greater is required. Other application materials required to apply for this course are:

• Resume
• SOP
• Academic transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• TOEFL / IELTS scores

For the academic year 2025-26, Cornell Tech MBA tuition fee is USD 135,374 (Around INR 1.23 Cr.). Other expenses that students have to pay are-

• Health insurance: USD 3,944 - USD 4,058
• NYC Health Fee: USD 340
• Student activity: USD 110
• New student fee: USD 1,500
• Living expenses: USD 31,913

Cornell University's MBA course is 2 years. This course is taught by a world-class faculty. The MBA course of Cornell is a STEM-designated course. Also, while studying this course, students can do internship with the top companies like EY, Amazon, Microsoft, J.P. Morgan, etc. 

<a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/universities/cornell-university/master-of-architecture-professional">Cornell University Master of Architecture (Professional) </a>course is a 3.5 year long course. This course engages global practices through a foundation in making and conceptual thinking. To pursue this course, the applicants are required to have a 4-year Bachelor's degree in any discipline. This programme is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. This is a STEM-based program making international graduates eligible to extend their F-1 Visas for up to 3 years in order to work in the U.S.

Most popular majors at Cornell are as mentioned below:

• Business, Management and Marketing
• Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
• Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Architecture and Related Services
• Communication, Journalism and Related Programs

There are two MBA options at Cornell Uni. One MBA course is of 2 years duration, whereas, Johnson Cornell Tech MBA is 1 year long. There is an internship in 2 years MBA. Both the courses have the STEM-designation. GMAT score range for both the courses is given below-

• 2 years MBA: 660-740
• 1 year MBA: 630-770

In the QS rankings, Cornell Uni ranking is #16 in 2026. Globally, as per Times Higher Education rankings, this university ranks at #18 in 2026. As per U.S. News ranking, Cornell rank at #16 in the Best Global Universities category for 2025. 

Globally, Cornell University ranking is #16 in 2026 and 2025. The university has managed to stay in the Top 20 Universities in the world. According to Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, this university ranks at #18 in 2026. Even in THE rankings, the university ranks among the Top 20 Universities in the world. 

Cornell University is a top ranked university in America and in world. But it ranks slightly above the Top 10 Universities mark. In the U.S. rankings, Cornell Uni ranking as per U.S. News is at #12 in 2026. Also, it ranks at #8 for Business programs in 2026. 

Globally, Cornell University QS ranking is #16 in 2026. Whereas, this university ranks at #18 in 2026 Times Higher rankings. 

MBA is one of the top picked course at Cornell University by Indian students. In Bloomberg Businessweek's Best Business schools rankings for 2025-26, Cornell University ranks at #8 for its MBA course.

• Cornell ranks at #15 position in Financial Times MBA rankings 2026
• In the 2026 QS Global MBA rankings, Cornell ranks at #33. 

There is one primary campus of Cornell Uni, located in NY. There are three satellite campuses of Cornell including two in New York City, Medical School and Cornell Tech and a branch of medical school in Al Rayyan. Campus size of this university is 2,300 acres. University is a 4-hour drive from NY City.

Yes, Indian Student Association (ISA) is present at Cornell. The student-led group represents Indian community on the campus. It plays an crucial role in providing cultural identity, helping Indian students, and building community. A few of the events conducted by ISA are: 

• Diwali
• Holi
• Bollywood Movie screenings

For UG students at Cornell University, the housing for 2025-26 is USD 13,246 (Around INR 12 lakh) and the expenses for food is USD 7328. Housing rates are given below: 

Residence Hall Rates

Graduate / Professional Hasbrouck Community Single

Cornell University's student organizations, clubs, groups and activities are very diverse. Also, the university boasts 30+ varsity sports teams for both men and women. The Campus Activities Office at the university is there to support students with all the things related to out-of-your classroom and student organisation experience. The following things are offered at Cornell's Campus Activities Office:  

• Connect students with 1000+ student organizations. There is a specific student-led organization for Indian students namely Indian Student Association (ISA)
• Offer a Leadership Workshop Series each semester for student organizations to attend and gain skills to best support their organisation and its members
• Housing is also available for Indian stuents. The common choices among Indian students are Collegtown, Maplewood, and Hasbrouck Apartments
• Supports many student-run campus traditions like ClubFest, Movies on the Arts Quad, Slope Day, and more