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Cornell College

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Cornell College campus
Do you learn better when you can focus on one thing at a time? At Cornell we study and teach one subject at a time for 18 days on a unified schedule that makes time for athletics, the arts, and social groups. It's a little unconventional, but it works-an average of 93% of Cornell graduates complete their degree in 4 years, and 97% of the class of 2022 who sought employment are now employed. Choose from 49 majors, 11 pre-professional programs, or design your own major with a specific career path in mind.
Accepts first-year applicationsMidwestPrivateSmall (2,000 and under)Co-Ed
Virtual Tour

Academic programs

  • Engineering
  • Research
  • Science
  • Technology
  • Liberal Arts
  • Business
  • Education
  • Music
  • Art & Design
  • Economics
  • Finance/Accounting
  • Government/Political Science
  • Health Science
  • Performing Arts
  • Social Science
  • Visual Arts

Student experience

  • Athletics
  • Co-op/Internship Opportunities
  • Disability Services
  • Greek Life
  • Intramural/Club Sports
  • LGBTQIA Services
  • On-Campus Housing
  • Study Abroad
  • Undergraduate Research

Application information

First-year

First year students at Cornell are incoming students who are attending a residential college for the first time, coming from high school or home school. First year students may have completed courses for credit at a local college or community college and can request to have those credits applied towards their graduation requirements. Fall semester applications open in August and are accepted until our class is filled.

Transfer

Cornell considers transfer students to be any student who has completed college work after high school graduation or home school equivalent. Transfer students may be choosing to switch institutions to complete their undergraduate degree, or they be returning to college after a break. Students who have completed an A.A. degree often transfer to Cornell to complete their four-year degree. Cornell works with community colleges nationwide to admit students who have earned an A.A. degree, conferring junior status when they enter Cornell. Applications are accepted for fall and spring entry each ye

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Additional information

Cornell follows the Ingenuity curriculum, embracing the power of creative imagination. Ingenuity encourages being thoughtful, original, and inventive, using the strengths of a liberal arts education to apply ideas to solve problems and meet challenges through hands-on experience in learning. 

 

Students maintain an Ingenuity Portfolio to reflect on their learning experiences. They complete 3 Foundations courses in their first two years focused on building community, student success, effective writing, and citizenship. Students build on Foundations with 4-10 Building Essential Abilities courses in writing, quantitative reasoning, intercultural literacy, and foreign language. 4 Exploration courses expand knowledge in fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. 

 

Ingenuity in Action is an experience requirement such as an internship, research project, or leadership role in two of six categories: civic engagement, creative expression, global connections, leadership, professional exploration, and research. Ingenuity requirements and experiences regularly double-count and enhance a student’s major and/or minor course of study.

 

One Course At A Time is a style of learning where we cover the same ground as a semester school, but the way we get there allows students and faculty the freedom to intensely explore one subject together in a micro-community for 18 school days (3.5 weeks.) One Course makes it possible for students to incorporate full-time internships, undergraduate research, and off-campus study into their schedule without missing out on other class work or creating schedule conflicts, allowing students to personalize their schedule each semester.

Visit us

Cornell College offers multiple group visit days throughout the year where students and families can see presentations, tour campus, and participate in discussions with faculty, staff and students. We also encourage individual visits to campus whenever classes are in session. Students can customize their individual visit experience and attend class in a major of interest; meet with faculty, admission staff, financial aid staff, coaches, and current students; attend sporting or arts events, tour campus, and try out our award-winning dining hall.

In my book there is no better college, and it produces much more than its share of writers, scholars, and executives.