Is Brown or Cornell harder to get into?

Brown is harder to get into than Cornell. Brown's 5.4% acceptance rate is lower than Cornell's 7.9%.

Which is cheaper, Brown or Cornell?

Brown costs less on average. After grants and scholarships, Brown's average net price is $25,184 vs $28,690 at Cornell.

Which has higher post-graduation earnings, Brown or Cornell?

Cornell graduates earn more on average. Median earnings 10 years after entry are $93,487 at Brown and $104,043 at Cornell.

Brown vs. Cornell: Acceptance Rate, SAT, Cost & Outcomes Compared

Metric	Brown	Cornell
Acceptance rate	5.4%	7.9%
SAT mid-50%	1500–1570	1480–1550
ACT mid-50%	34–35	33–35
Cost of attendance	$90,160	$90,828
Avg net price (after aid)	$25,184	$28,690
Undergrad enrollment	7,639	16,071
6-yr graduation rate	95.7%	95.4%
Median earnings (10yr)	$93,487	$104,043
Setting	Providence, Rhode Island	Ithaca, New York

The Real Differences

Brown is modestly harder to get into. The 2.5-point gap matters at the margin but doesn't change the overall difficulty tier. Both schools draw similar applicant pools and admit similar profiles.

Cornell graduates earn $10,556 more on average at the 10-year mark. This usually reflects major distribution more than school quality — schools that concentrate in CS, engineering, and finance pull higher medians than schools with more humanities and social science graduates. Brown grads' earnings within the same major category are typically comparable.

Cornell is substantially larger with 16,071 undergrads vs 7,639 at Brown. Bigger universities have more major options and broader research opportunities; smaller ones offer more access to faculty and tighter-knit communities.

Geographic difference matters more than the campus tour suggests. Brown is in Providence, Rhode Island; Cornell is in Ithaca, New York. Climate, cost-of-living, and proximity to job markets in your target field shape the four-year experience and post-grad pipeline more than most prospective students realize.

Student Body Composition

The two schools have different student body compositions. Brown is 50.0% women, 12.7% international, and 22.9% Asian-American. Cornell is 54.6% women, 9.6% international, and 26.8% Asian-American.

Demographic	Brown	Cornell
Women	50.0%	54.6%
International	12.7%	9.6%
White	32.9%	31.0%
Asian	22.9%	26.8%
Hispanic	12.1%	13.2%
Black	8.2%	6.8%

Personalized estimate

What are your odds at Brown vs. Cornell?

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The Verdict

Pick Brown if

Net price matters: Brown costs $3,506 less per year on average
Higher 6-year graduation rate
the Open Curriculum

Pick Cornell if

Your odds are realistic at Cornell (slightly easier admit)
Higher median post-grad earnings ($104,043 vs $93,487)
seven distinct undergraduate colleges

Headline numbers favor one school or the other on each axis, but neither is unambiguously “better.” The right answer depends on your major fit, geographic preference, financial need, and personal odds at each. Most applicants who get into one of these schools also get into the other.

Full School Pages

For complete admissions data, supplemental essay strategy, and class profile breakdowns:

Full profile

Brown University

5.4% accept · Providence, Rhode Island

Full profile

Cornell University

7.9% accept · Ithaca, New York

Sources

U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard for acceptance rates, test ranges, financial aid, demographics, completion, and earnings.
IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) for the underlying federal data.
Each school's most recent published Common Data Set for cycle-specific admissions stats.

Last verified May 2026. Stats reflect each school's most recent publicly published admit cycle.

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