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Admissions · United States

Cornell Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and English Requirements

Cornell admitted 8.4% of first-year applicants for fall 2025 (Class of 2029): 6,077 of 72,523.

Cornell publishes its admissions figures in the Common Data Set, released by Institutional Research & Planning months after each class enrolls; the newest covers fall 2025. Below are the last three cycles, the early decision, international, wait-list, yield and transfer figures, what Cornell does and does not publish about its eight undergraduate colleges, and the TOEFL and IELTS minimums.

Figures read from official sources on · LingoLeap Admissions Research

Cornell University acceptance rate by year

Cornell University applicants, admits and acceptance rate by admission cycle
CycleApplicantsAdmittedAcceptance rate
Fall 2025 (Class of 2029)72,5236,0778.4% source
Fall 2024 (Class of 2028)65,6125,5168.4% source
Fall 2023 (Class of 2027)67,8465,3587.9% source

Cornell acceptance rate by round and applicant group

Cornell University acceptance rate by admission round, college or applicant group
GroupCycleRateDetail
Early DecisionFall 2025 (Class of 2029)18.8%1,889 admitted of 10,057 ED applicants source
Early DecisionFall 2024 (Class of 2028)11.6%1,161 admitted of 9,973 ED applicants, as published source
Early DecisionFall 2023 (Class of 2027)17.6%1,670 admitted of 9,515 ED applicants source
New York residentsFall 2025 (Class of 2029)13.3%1,720 admitted of 12,978 source
Out-of-state (US)Fall 2025 (Class of 2029)9.0%3,693 admitted of 40,979 source
InternationalFall 2025 (Class of 2029)3.6%664 admitted of 18,566 source
InternationalFall 2024 (Class of 2028)3.5%588 admitted of 16,858 source
InternationalFall 2023 (Class of 2027)2.8%478 admitted of 16,839 source
Wait listFall 2025 (Class of 2029)3.8%254 admitted of 6,598 who accepted a wait-list place (9,720 offered) source
Wait listFall 2024 (Class of 2028)6.3%388 admitted of 6,190 who accepted a wait-list place (8,103 offered) source
Yield (admits who enrolled)Fall 2025 (Class of 2029)63.0%3,827 enrolled of 6,077 admitted source
Yield (admits who enrolled)Fall 2024 (Class of 2028)63.9%3,525 enrolled of 5,516 admitted source
TransferFall 202511.7%864 admitted of 7,381 source
TransferFall 20249.3%670 admitted of 7,218 source
TransferFall 202312.7%834 admitted of 6,581 source

What the numbers mean

Cornell's acceptance rate has held at about 8% while applications have grown: 72,523 first-year applicants for fall 2025, up from 65,612 a year earlier. Cornell does not announce numbers on decision day; the Common Data Set for the Class of 2030 (fall 2026) is not out yet.

Early Decision is the clearest advantage Cornell publishes. For fall 2025 it admitted 18.8% of ED applicants, more than double the overall rate, and ED admits made up almost a third of all admits. ED is binding, and the early pool differs from the regular pool, so the gap is not a pure boost from applying early. The published ED figures also swing from year to year (11.6% for fall 2024, 17.6% for fall 2023).

Each applicant applies to one of Cornell's eight undergraduate colleges and schools: Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), Arts and Sciences, Engineering (Duffield), Human Ecology, Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, and the SC Johnson College of Business (the Dyson School and the Nolan School of Hotel Administration). Each college reviews its own applicants, but Cornell does not publish acceptance rates by college; figures you see for Dyson, ILR, Hotel or Engineering are third-party estimates.

International applicants were admitted at 3.6% for fall 2025 (664 of 18,566), well below the 13.3% for New York residents. Cornell requires the SAT or ACT from first-year applicants. Non-native English speakers who have not studied in English for four years need an English test; Cornell's admissions office lists TOEFL 5.0 as the minimum and 5.5 as recommended for tests taken from January 2026, IELTS 7.5 and Duolingo 130.

Cornell University TOEFL and IELTS requirements

Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.

Undergraduate (university-wide)

TOEFL iBT: 5 overall (1–6 scale)

Cornell University requires a minimum TOEFL of 5.0 overall on the 2026 scale for undergraduate admissions, with no section below 4.0. This matches the university-wide standard used for graduate admissions.

Official page · checked 22 March 2026

Master's (university-wide)

TOEFL iBT: No overall minimum published

Cornell does not publish an overall minimum. Section minimums must each be met. Speaking 5.5+ qualifies as Tier A (auto-approved teaching assistant). MyBest scores accepted at the Graduate School level but individual programs may differ.

Official page · checked 19 March 2026

Master's · MS at Cornell Tech

TOEFL iBT: 5 overall (1–6 scale)

Cornell Tech requires a minimum TOEFL overall score of 5.0 (100 legacy), compared to the Cornell Graduate School standard which sets no overall minimum. Section minimums follow the Cornell Graduate School standard.

Official page · checked 21 March 2026

Master's · MBA (Johnson School)

TOEFL iBT: 5 overall (1–6 scale)

Johnson School requires 5.0 overall with all sections at 5.0 (legacy: 100 overall, sections at least 25). This is higher than the Cornell Graduate School standard, which sets no overall minimum.

Official page · checked 21 March 2026

Check your score against Cornell University

Take a free 2026-format TOEFL mock test for a 1–6 band estimate, then compare it with the minimum above and with other universities' requirements.

Free TOEFL mock test

FAQ

What is Cornell's acceptance rate?

Cornell admitted 6,077 of 72,523 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (Class of 2029), an acceptance rate of 8.4%. The rate was also 8.4% for fall 2024 and 7.9% for fall 2023.

What is Cornell's early decision acceptance rate?

For fall 2025 Cornell admitted 1,889 of 10,057 Early Decision applicants, an ED acceptance rate of 18.8%. The Common Data Set reports 11.6% for fall 2024 (1,161 of 9,973) and 17.6% for fall 2023 (1,670 of 9,515).

What is the acceptance rate for each Cornell college (Dyson, ILR, Hotel, Engineering, CALS)?

Cornell does not publish acceptance rates by college. Its Common Data Set reports one university-wide figure (8.4% for fall 2025), and its last published class profiles gave enrollment by college, not admit rates. Treat college-level rates on other websites as estimates.

What is Cornell's waitlist acceptance rate and yield?

For fall 2025 Cornell offered 9,720 applicants a wait-list place; 6,598 accepted and 254 were admitted (3.8%). Yield was 63.0%: 3,827 of 6,077 admitted students enrolled.

What is Cornell's transfer acceptance rate?

Cornell admitted 864 of 7,381 transfer applicants for fall 2025 (11.7%), 670 of 7,218 for fall 2024 (9.3%) and 834 of 6,581 for fall 2023 (12.7%). Transfer applicants do not need SAT or ACT scores.

Is it hard to get into Cornell?

Yes. Cornell admits about 8% of first-year applicants and about 3.6% of international applicants, and it requires the SAT or ACT from first-year applicants. Applying Early Decision roughly doubles the published admit rate, but it is binding.

What TOEFL score does Cornell require?

For undergraduate admission Cornell requires a TOEFL iBT of 5.0 overall on the 2026 scale with no section below 4.0, and recommends 5.5 (100 for tests taken before January 2026). The Graduate School sets section minimums but no overall minimum; Cornell Tech master's programs and the Johnson MBA require 5.0 overall.

Sources