We continue to strive to manifest Cornell’s founding principle, written by Ezra Cornell in 1868, "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study."

Since the first class of 412 Cornell students was accepted in 1868, the student body has grown increasingly diverse. Cornell admitted its first female and African American students within the first three years of operation.

Recent classes have included undergraduate students from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. International students comprise 8% of recently admitted classes, with citizenship from 95 nations. Fifty-five percent (55%) of newly admitted students self-identify as persons of color. Undergraduates select from 80 majors as well as interdisciplinary programs across seven undergraduate colleges and schools. Graduate students pursue degrees in nearly 100 fields of study. International students make up almost half the graduate student population.

Admission to Cornell is highly selective, with approximately 10% of applicants admitted each year. There are more than 15,000 undergraduates and 10,000 graduate and professional students, most of whom are residential.

Try This

Cornell’s Institutional Research & Planning (IRP) provides valuable information about the university. Explore the following:

• The University Factbook, Undergraduate Admissions
• The IRP Diversity Dashboards.  These data sets describe trends in Cornell students’ demographics, opinions, and experiences since 2010. You can explore this information, including particular diversity indicators broken down by year, college, and social identity.
• Graduate School Facts and Figures page
• Cornell’s University Facts page