Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa · Private · 1,086 undergraduates · cornellcollege.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
80%
of 2,522 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1130 to 1260
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$76,490Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Cornell College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
80% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$76,490
a year in 2027-28, from a $76,490 sticker price
What to do with your 1230
Send your score
Your SAT is at or above the median of freshmen who sent scores (1230).
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
Source: Apply as a First-Year Student | Cornell College | Mount Vernon, Iowa · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- May1Regular Decision · May 1, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
80%
of applicants were admitted: 2,015 of 2,522 for fall 2024.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2024)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 8% of them sent SAT scores and 17% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1130 to 1260
Reading and Writing 575 to 655
Math 545 to 630
ACT composite 23 to 30
Source: Common Data Set 2024-25
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.60
- 4.026%
- 3.75 to 3.9918%
- 3.50 to 3.7422%
- 3.25 to 3.4916%
- 3.00 to 3.249.6%
- 2.50 to 2.998.2%
- Below 2.500.4%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$76,490
a year
- Tuition$58,470
- Fees$780
- Food and housing$13,050
- Books and supplies$780
- Transportation and other$3,410
Cornell College published $70,710 for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-25
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$18,469
- $30,001 to $48,000$18,144
- $48,001 to $75,000$20,791
- $75,001 to $110,000$23,291
- Over $110,000$32,919
Financial aid
88%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$40,386
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
20%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $36,763 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 1-Mar
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-25
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
38 of 40
Earn credit with a score of 3
2 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $5,850Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 1 | ART 010 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 1 | ART 010 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 0 | RES 017 |
| African American Studies | 4 | 1 | RES 017 |
| Art History | 4 | 1 | ART 011 |
| Biology | 4 | 1 | BIO 013 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 0 | MAT 121 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 1 | MAT 121 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 0 | MAT 121 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 2 | MAT 121, MAT 012 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 1 | CHE 161 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 0 | FLA 103 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 0 | FLA 205 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | FLA 205, FLA 039 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 0 | POL 143 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 1 | POL 143 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 0 | CSC 140 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 1 | CSC 140 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 0 | CSC 140 |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 1 | CSC 140 |
| Drawing | 4 | 1 | ART 010 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 1 | ENG 017 |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | 1 | ENG 011 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 1 | ENV 017 |
| European History | 3 | 0 | HIS 011 |
| European History | 4 | 1 | HIS 011 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 0 | FRE 103 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 0 | FRE 205 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | FRE 205, FRE 039 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 0 | GER 103 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 0 | GER 205 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | GER 205, GER 039 |
| Human Geography | 4 | 1 | TRN 015 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 0 | FLA 103 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 0 | FLA 205 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | FLA 205, FLA 039 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 0 | FLA 103 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 0 | FLA 205 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | FLA 205, FLA 039 |
| Latin | 3 | 0 | LAT 103 |
| Latin | 4 | 0 | LAT 205 |
| Latin | 5 | 1 | LAT 205, LAT 039 |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 1 | ECB 101 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 1 | ECB 102 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 0 | MUS 110, 210 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 2 | MUS 110, 210 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 0 | PHY 141 |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 1 | PHY 141 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 0 | PHY 142 |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 1 | PHY 142 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 0 | PHY 275 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 1 | PHY 275 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 0 | PHY 225 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 1 | PHY 225 |
| Pre-Calculus | 4 | 1 | TRN 012QE |
| Psychology | 3 | 0 | PSY 161 |
| Psychology | 4 | 1 | PSY 161 |
| Research | 4 | 1 | TRN 017 |
| Seminar | 4 | 1 | TRN 017 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 0 | SPA 103 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 0 | SPA 205 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | SPA 205, SPA 039 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 1 | SPA 011 |
| Statistics | 3 | 1 | STA 201 |
| Statistics | 4 | 1 | STA 201 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 0 | POL 172 |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 1 | POL 172 |
| United States History | 3 | 0 | HIS 153 |
| United States History | 4 | 1 | HIS 153 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 0 | HIS 011 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 1 | HIS 011 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
60%
Come back for a second year
80%
Typical earnings
$57,224
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Cornell College$59,076
- All colleges$59,032
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 4 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Cornell College. The Cornell College logo is a trademark of the college.