We’ll examine Cornell University’s benefits and drawbacks in this article along with other crucial data to help you decide if it’s a decent place to study computer science, engineering, medicine, and other subjects.
What Is Cornell University?
Ivy League research institution Cornell University was founded in 1865 and has its main campus in Ithaca, New York. The 2,300 acres that make up the Cornell University campus in Ithaca are home to 260 structures. Cornell University has five more campuses in addition to Ithaca, one each in New York, Doha, Geneva, Washington, DC, and Rome. Numerous individuals aspire to attend Cornell University for two reasons: first, it is an Ivy League institution; and second, its main campus is located in Ithaca.
US News & World Report’s National University Ranking has placed Cornell University at #17 nationally for the year 2022, while THE (Times Higher Education) – University Ranking and US News & World Report – Global Universities have placed Cornell University at #22 globally. In contrast, Cornell University was ranked #21 in the 2022 rankings by QS – World University Ranking. Since Cornell is an Ivy League school, its rankings often fall in the top 50 on a national and international level.
Cornell University offers more than 100 minors, 80 majors, and 102 graduate study subjects through its nine undergraduate colleges and eight graduate and professional institutions. The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, College of Engineering, Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, and Weill Cornell Medicine are a few of Cornell’s well-known colleges (both New York and Qatar). At Cornell University, there are 100 academic departments that offer a total of 4,000 courses. Cornell University often provides majors in engineering, business, computer and information sciences, economics, political science, and government.
In a first-of-its-kind, Cornell University was the first to establish four-year programmes for industrial and labour relations and hotel administration. Cornell also conferred the first journalism degree ever. Cornell University also conferred the first veterinary medical degree and the first PhD in electrical and industrial engineering in the United States. Additionally, Cornell University published the Poincaré Conjecture on arXiv.org before any other institution. Also, Cornell University was the first university to initially offer American Studies as a major.
According to reports, Cornell University’s acceptance rate for Fall 2021 was 10%, down from the 11% recorded for admissions in 2020, representing a 1% decrease in the number of applicants. A total of 25,582 students were admitted to Cornell University for the Fall of 2021; 15,503 of those were undergraduates from 120 different countries and over 50 states. Only 10% of undergraduates at Cornell were from other countries.
More than 2,50,000 Cornell University graduates are now employed and residing abroad. There are currently about 61 Nobel laureates in the Cornell alumni network. In addition to Ratan Tata, an Indian industrialist and philanthropist who served as the former chairman of the Tata Group, other notable alumni of Cornell University include Toni Morrison, an American novelist and Nobel Prize winner known for Song of Solomon, Bill Nye, an American mechanical engineer recognised for his science experiments, Anthony Stephen Fauci, an American physician-scientist who serves as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden, and Christopher Reeve (American actor known for his lead role in Superman series). After graduating, Cornell alumni have access to a range of services, including career guidance, easy access to library resources, the ability to get transcripts directly from the university registrar, and several more options.

Is Cornell University a good school for engineering and medicine?
Yes, Cornell University is undoubtedly one of the greatest ivy league institutions for engineering and medical. In fact, US News ranks this university as the 13th best engineering school in the country.
This institution is unique because of its high admission rate in comparison to other Ivy League schools, outstanding research facilities, plenty of courses, strong entrepreneurial culture, amazing alumni, incredible location, and other factors.
Let’s examine all the advantages and disadvantages of attending Cornell University to determine whether it is worthwhile to attend this Ivy League school.
What makes Cornell University unique and special (Benefits & reasons you should go to Cornell University)
- One of the key benefits is that there are more than 4000 distinct courses available for both undergraduate and graduate study in 100 different departments, including courses in engineering, law, business, medicine, and architecture. Check out the courses available here in philosophy, history, the arts, humanities, agriculture, and many more; chances are you’ll discover your ideal class at this institution.
- Another benefit is that the university was established in 1865, making it one of the oldest Ivy league universities in the United States. In addition, many websites rank this university as one of the best, with US News placing it in the 17th spot for best national university in America, the 13th spot for best engineering school, and the 22nd spot for best universities in the world. It also receives the 20th spot for best universities in the world by Q’s report.
- There is no merit-based scholarship programme at this university, which is a great thing in my opinion. Additionally, you can apply for and receive federal and state grants for education, as well as student loans, and you can work and earn money for education. Like all other Ivy League colleges, this university offers need-based financial aid and scholarships to the students. It’s interesting to note that there is no minimum income requirement to be eligible for scholarships at this university. Additionally, there are scholarships available for international students; for example, if you are an Indian, you can apply for Tata Scholarships, etc. For more information, please click here.
- 61 Nobel laureates, 4 Turing Award winners, 34 Marshall Scholars, numerous foreign presidents and politicians, 33 Rhodes Scholars, 29 Truman Scholars, 7 Gates Scholars, 63 Olympic Medalists, and 10 current Fortune 5 companies are just a few of the university’s outstanding alumni. Another benefit is that the university accepts very few students, similar to other Ivy League universities, Additionally, this university has 35 millionaire graduates, students come from 110 different nations to study there, and there are 250000 alumni worldwide.
- Another benefit is that the university provides a lot of networking opportunities for students because there are more than 1000 different student organisations and clubs in almost any topic and genre you can imagine. You can join clubs, and there are numerous sporting events that you can also participate in because it is an Ivy League college and there is a lot of emphasis on extracurricular activities in addition to academics. As a result, you can greatly improve your interpersonal skills and a variety of other skills.
- Another benefit is the university’s acceptance rate, which is around 10.7%. This is actually very good if you compare it to its peers at Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, whose acceptance rates are less than 7% in the ivy league specifically. This university has the highest acceptance rate, so you will obviously have more opportunities to be admitted here than at Harvard and Columbia.
- The university has excellent faculty and professors; there are about 2900 faculty and 7500 staff members; the student faculty ratio is about 9:1, which is not bad considering that more than 62% of the classes have fewer than 20 students; the professors are paid 175,000 dollars per year, which is double the average national salary of only $80000; and the interaction between student faculty extends beyond the classroom, allowing them to collaborate.
- Another benefit is the university’s excellent location, which is on a 2300-acre campus close to the Finger Lakes area of New York State, Despite the fact that the institution has branches in other nations like Italy and Qatar, I am referring about the main campus in Ithaca, which is one of the greatest destinations for students and universities, and Qatar, but I’m referring to the main campus in Ithaca, which is one of the best places for universities and students. As I previously mentioned, the land is huge, the food is excellent, there are many waterfalls and lakes, and there are lots of interesting places to visit to unwind while studying, so overall it’s a great place to study and have fun.
- Another thing is the entrepreneurship culture, which is again a big advantage of this university. If you get right down to it and check, what any student needs to start a business are things like mentorship, training, clubs and societies, networking opportunities, competitions, hackathons, funding, programmes and grants, incubators, internships, and many more, all of which are available and accessible in Cornell University, such as rough draughts. Student organisation Ventures has supported more than 150 firms, helped to generate 500 jobs, and raised more than $250 million in capital. As a result, the university provides a wealth of tools and facilities for students to launch a startup.
- Another benefit is the university’s amazing research infrastructure, which includes facilities like the Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC), Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, and Cornell Electron Storage Ring. In addition to research, there are several libraries with food options. The University also receives a lot of funding from federal, state, and private sources, and the endowment is approximately $10 billion dollars. The University also has a lot of residential areas, museums, parks, sports complexes, and many other wonderful amenities. Research is something to emphasise in this university; many people have won the Nobel prize due to the research and inventions.
- The last perk is placements, which are also respectable. The average salary for students who graduate from this university is $90000, which is significantly more than the national average, which is roughly $55000. Keep in mind that this is the average salary; your actual pay will depend on factors like experience, specialisation, company, and location. Additionally, the fact that you graduated from a highly regarded university can help you land any job and make you stand out in the crowd.
What makes Cornell University bad (Drawbacks/disadvantages of Cornell University)
- One of the main drawbacks of other Ivy League colleges, not just Cornell, is that the cost of education is quite high. As I mentioned earlier, scholarships are need-based rather than merit-based, and the average cost to attend this university for one year is about $80,000. This includes tuition, books and study materials, housing costs, dining costs, travel expenses, and other costs. After scholarships and aid, the cost drops to $38,000, but it is still quite expensive because not everyone can afford it.
- Another drawback is that there aren’t many international students at this university for undergraduate studies. For instance, there are 15500 undergraduate students, but only 10% of them are from other countries, so there is less diversity than there is at the graduate level, where 50% of the students come from abroad.
- Although the acceptance rate of 10% is significantly better than some other Ivy League colleges like Harvard and Yale, it is still not very good as only 10 students can get admission out of 100 who apply, making it very difficult to get admission in this university. Other disadvantages with other Ivy League along with this and prestigious colleges like Stanford and MIT also include other Ivy League colleges.
- The fact that international students who do not apply for international financial assistance when they apply for admission (and are accepted) will not be eligible to apply for financial aid at any point after enrolling as an undergraduate at Cornell is another drawback associated to the scholarships. Students should also keep in mind to apply for scholarships at the same time that they do so for admission, as they won’t have another opportunity to do so once they have been admitted, and they must reapply for scholarships each year in order to receive financial aid. Additionally, there aren’t many scholarships available for international students.
- Another drawback of the university’s location is that there are no major cities close by Ithaca, where it is situated, making it difficult for students to travel from one city to another. For instance, Cornell University and New York City are separated by a distance of 220 miles, making it difficult for students to use public transportation and necessitate the use of a vehicle. This can be a significant issue for students who are first-years at the university.
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