Northwestern College vs Cornell
Northwestern College and Cornell University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Northwestern College, a private Christian liberal arts college in Orange City, Iowa, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on undergraduate teaching. Cornell University, an Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York, is renowned for its world-class faculty, extensive research opportunities, and diverse student body. With acceptance rates of 88% and 10%, respectively, these institutions cater to different applicant pools. While Northwestern College excels in popular majors like Business, Education, and Nursing, Cornell University offers a wider range of programs, including Engineering, Law, and Veterinary Medicine. Explore the comparison table to discover more about the student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key differences between these two exceptional institutions.
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![]() Cornell University |
![]() Northwestern College |
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Overview |
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Location | Ithaca, New York | Orange City, Iowa |
Campus setting | City: Small | Town: Distant |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 97.0% | 83.0% |
![]() |
Yes | No |
Religious affiliation | Protestant | |
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 8.7% | 83.0% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$80
Graduate:
$105
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SAT range | 1450 - 1560 | 940 - 1240 |
ACT range | 33 - 35 | 20 - 27 |
Students submitting SAT score | 41.0% | 8.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 20.0% | 82.0% |
Total number of applicants | 67,380 | 1,172 |
Total number of admissions given out | 5,852 | 973 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 3,718 | 268 |
Yield rate | 63.5% | 27.5% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Not required | Not required |
Recommendation letters | Required | Not required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $80,287 | $47,650 |
Average net price | $24,262 | $24,848 |
Tuition | $60,286 | $33,350 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$9,962
Meal plan:
$6,434
|
$10,000 |
Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
50.0%
Average amount $52,674 |
100.0%
Average amount $21,873 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
26.0%
Average amount $3,924 |
69.0%
Average amount $5,257 |
Students taking out private loans |
16.0%
Average amount $8,357 |
21.0%
Average amount $10,813 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
15,503
Men 46.1% Women 53.9% |
1,053
Men 48.7% Women 51.3% |
Graduate students |
10,079
Men 51.0% Women 49.0% |
460
Men 24.3% Women 75.7% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Moderate
|
Very Low
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Out-of-state students | 64.3% | N/A |
International students | 24.4% | 2.2% |
Campus local/setting | City: Small | Town: Distant |
Dormitory capacity | 7,422 | 995 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | New York California New Jersey Florida Pennsylvania | N/A |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 9:1 | 12:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education | Higher Learning Commission |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 94.1% | 70.8% |
Dropout rate | 5.2% | 6.5% |
Transferred out | N/A | 22.7% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
Operations Research (Master's Degrees)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
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Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
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