William & Mary (W&M) vs Cornell

William & Mary and Cornell University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. William & Mary, a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, boasts a rich history dating back to 1693, while Cornell, a private research university in Ithaca, New York, was founded in 1865. With acceptance rates of 34% and 10%, respectively, both universities are highly selective. William & Mary's student body is predominantly White (62%) and female (56%), while Cornell's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population (15%). Popular majors at William & Mary include Business, Public Policy, and History, while Cornell offers a wider range of programs, with popular choices including Engineering, Business, and Biological Sciences. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with William & Mary's at 88% and Cornell's at 93%. Explore the comparison table below to delve deeper into
William & Mary logo

William & Mary

Cornell University logo

Cornell University

Overview

Location Williamsburg, Virginia Ithaca, New York
Campus setting Suburb: Small City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 93.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 36.5% 8.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $105
SAT range 1360 - 1520 1450 - 1560
ACT range 31 - 34 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 41.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0% 20.0%
Total number of applicants 17,475 67,380
Total number of admissions given out 6,386 5,852
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,684 3,718
Yield rate 26.4% 63.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $40,624

Out of state: $63,850
$80,287
Average net price $18,399 $24,262
Tuition
In state: $17,434

Out of state: $40,089
$60,286
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,490

Meal plan: $5,246
Room/dormitory: $9,962

Meal plan: $6,434
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

44.0%
Average amount $21,700
50.0%
Average amount $52,674
Students receiving federal student loan 22.0%
Average amount $5,132
26.0%
Average amount $3,924
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $27,548
16.0%
Average amount $8,357

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,543
Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
15,503
Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Graduate students 2,974
Men 42.7% Women 57.3%
10,079
Men 51.0% Women 49.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 35.2% 64.3%
International students 6.2% 24.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 4,755 7,422
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Virginia New Jersey Maryland Pennsylvania New York New York California New Jersey Florida Pennsylvania

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Social Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Agriculture
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.0% 94.1%
Dropout rate 2.1% 5.2%
Transferred out 6.3% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,208
  • Year 2: $71,202
  • Year 3: $87,886
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,972
  • Year 2: $66,087
  • Year 3: $81,526
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,399
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $80,518
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,897
  • Year 2: $68,499
  • Year 3: $80,071
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,977
  • Year 2: $65,610
  • Year 3: $69,021
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,979
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $57,485
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,630
  • Year 2: $44,117
  • Year 3: $51,824
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,566
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $50,454
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,517
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $48,118
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,414
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $47,651
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $185,154
  • Year 2: $172,867
  • Year 3: $207,272
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $150,786
  • Year 2: $145,332
  • Year 3: $167,695
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $127,764
  • Year 2: $122,485
  • Year 3: $158,076
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $147,241
  • Year 2: $127,397
  • Year 3: $155,653
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,311
  • Year 2: $111,926
  • Year 3: $126,082
Operations Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,067
  • Year 2: $109,763
  • Year 3: $124,590
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,459
  • Year 2: $92,277
  • Year 3: $109,597
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,672
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $109,553
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,847
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $107,658
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $106,693

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