Cornell College Acceptance Rate, GPA and Admission Requirements

Cornell College is not selective in its admission process. The acceptance rate of Cornell College is 81.1%. This means that 81 out of every 100 applicants get admitted.

Although the acceptance rate is high, remember that to secure admission to any institution of higher learning, you must convince the admission staff that you are mentally and physically fit for the course of studies. Your GPA, class performance, SAT/ACT scores, and IB or AP courses can help your application stand out. If you do not perform well in one area, you can showcase your strengths in other areas, as Cornell College is not very strict in its admission, so improving other areas will help you secure admission.

To enhance your chances of admission, perform well in academics and other activities. If your GPA is not excellent, compensate by scoring high on the SAT, ACT, and taking IB or AP courses.

Additionally, a well-written letter of recommendation, your participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and your interpersonal communication skills can improve your chances of admission.

Cornell College Admission Requirements

Cornell College GPA Requirement

The average GPA of the admitted students at Cornell College is 3.5. It means that Cornell College is very selective in terms of GPA of the students. (Please note that most schools report a weighted GPA which is out of 4.0. However, some schools may use unweighted GPA. For exact information, contact the school admission staff).

With an average GPA of 3.5, Cornell College requires you to be near the top of your class. You need to score mostly A's in all classes to have good chances of admission. A couple of B's will not hurt you much, but more B's will put you in the lower category of the students. Additionally, you must take AP or IB courses to demonstrate your academic ability. More specifically, your AP and IB courses must be related to the area of your selected course of study. For example, if you are planning a career in engineering or IT, courses related to mathematics, calculus and physics will help you.

If your GPA is less than 3.5 and higher than 3.2 then you need higher SAT or ACT scores to compensate. You need to have a minimum of 3.1 GPA, to secure admission at Cornell College. Below this, chances of admission will be very slim.

Can I Get Into Cornell College Without SAT Or ACT?: Cornell College considers admission test scores (SAT/ACT) during the application process, but does not require them. Although, it is not strictly a requirement, but the test scores are considered for admission decisions. Hence, it is advisable to prepare well for the test and submit the best scores. Normally, students may appear in the test for 4 to 5 times to improve their scores. Hence you are required to plan early and appear in upcoming SAT / ACT tests. Check the schedule of test and plan accordingly. It is advisable to appear multiple times in the test unless you score well above the average SAT / ACT score of the admitted students, as given below.



Cornell College SAT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for SAT and ACT testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them. The test score policy is already mentioned.

Cornell College Average SAT Score: 1283
The average SAT score of the admitted students at Cornell College is a 1283 on the 1600 SAT scale. This score makes it slightly competetive for SAT test scores. You need to well to score 1283 on SAT
If your score is lower than 1155, you may appear again to improve your score to have better chances of admissions at Cornell College. It is not strange to appear multiple times for SAT to improve scores. Colleges don’t mind if you have appeared multiple times, but not more than 5 times.

SAT 25th Percentile: 1155
SAT 75th Percentile: 1405

It means that if you have scored less than 1155 then you are below the most of the admitted students at Cornell College and your chances of admission are very few. But if you have scored 1405 or more, then your chances of admissions are higher. 25th percentile means that only 25% of the admitted students have fewer score than this score. 75th percentile marks the score of upper 25% of the students. View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1300

Can I get into Cornell College with a 1400 SAT?.

With 1400 SAT Score, your chances of admission at Cornell College are good but the admission staff at Cornell College tests your all round personality and your academics. Your GPA, Class performance, SAT/ACT/Test scores and IP or IB Courses can help your application stand out. Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and interpersonal communication skills are very important. Additionally, if you could not perform well in one area, you have a chance to showcase your strengths and abilities in other areas, improving other areas will help you secure admission. You need to show better performance in all areas. An equally high GPA, taking IB or AP Courses and your role in leadership activities will definitely increase your chances of admissions. However, if you equally compete well in all other areas, then your chances of admissions are high.

Cornell College ACT Requirements

The average ACT Score at is 27. This score makes Cornell College Competitive for ACT scores. You need to do well to score 27 on ACT
ACT 25th Percentile: 24
ACT 75th Percentile: 30

Can I get into Cornell College with a 30 ACT?

With 30 ACT Score, your chances of admission at Cornell College are good but the admission staff does not check your ACT Score only. College Admission process tests your all round personality and your academics. your GPA, Class performance, SAT/ACT/Test scores and IP or IB Courses can help your application stand out. Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and interpersonal communication skills are very important. Additionally, if you could not perform well in one area, you have a chance to showcase your strengths and abilities in other areas, improving other areas will help you secure admission.

SAT Vs ACT: Which score to send

You can compare your scores in SAT and ACT to average SAT and ACT Scores of the admitted students at Cornell College. More importantly, comparing your scores with 25th and 75th percentiles of SAT and ACT scores will give you better understanding of where you stand. If your score in SAT is near to the 75th percentile SAT score, then you must send SAT score. If your ACT score is near to the 75th percentile, then you must send your ACT Score.

But there is more, if both of your scores are in same range, then it is better to send ACT Score, as in case of ACT, you can control which score to send as opposed to SAT.

Here it is how: When sending ACT Score, you can yourself decide which score you want to send to the colleges. You could take 8 ACT tests, and only send your highest one. This is not the case with SAT, where your score report mentions all of your attempts.

View list of all colleges with Average ACT score of 27.

Cornell College Profile

Name: Cornell College

City: Mount Vernon

URL: www.cornellcollege.edu/

State: Iowa

Type: Non-Profit Private

Zip: 52314-1098

Campus: Main

Accredited by: Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)


How much a degree from Cornell College Cost?

The average annual cost of the degree at Cornell College is USD: 60359. As most of the students receive Pell grants and Federal Grant the average annual net price a student has to pay at Cornell College is much less than this.

How can I get a scholarship?

23.65% of the students are receiving Pell grants and 57.68 percent are receiving federal grants. So it is a better choice to go to Cornell College and apply for PELL or federal loan grants.

At Cornell College, you will have no problem in receiving any scholarship form federal government. Fill in the FAFSA application form at the earliest and enlist Cornell College as your choice in the form.

How much a Cornell College Graduate makes?

The average annual salary of the Cornell College graduate after 4-6 year of graduation is USD 51898. An average Cornell College graduate makes this much after 10 years of enrollment (4-6 years after graduation).

The average annual income of a graduate in the United States is USD: 36834



Degree Programs


Bachelor Programs


Full list of All degree programs offered by Cornell College.

Data on this page is sourced from IPEDS, College Scorecard, US Department of Education, Institute's official websites and printed material as well as additional publicly available sources.

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