Key differences on Getting in

1
Penn is 1.6× more selective than Cornell
Acceptance rate
2
Penn's yield is 5 pts higher than Cornell's
Yield rate
3
Penn's SAT midpoint is 5 points higher than Cornell's
SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

Cornell8.4%

Penn5.4%Most selective

Applicants

Cornell72.5KMost

Penn65.2K

Admitted

Cornell6.1KMost

Penn3.5K

Yield rate

Cornell63%

Penn68%Highest

Quad's selectivity

CornellUltra selective
PennUltra selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

Cornell9.8%

Penn5.4%

Men admitted

Cornell7.8%

Penn5.4%

Test scores

SAT total,

Cornell

1490–1550

Penn

1510–1570

Axis runs 1400–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Cornell

33–35

Penn

34–36

Axis runs 29–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Cornell43%

Penn50%

Submitted ACT

Cornell13%

Penn17%

Test policy

CornellTest scores required
PennTest-optional

How they read a record

Cornell
is very important; GPA and class rank are both important; tests are considered.
Penn
GPA and the high school record are required; class rank and a college-prep program are considered.

What they look at

Factor	Cornell	Penn
High school GPA	Important	Required
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Important	Considered
College-prep program	Considered	Considered
Recommendations	Very important	Required
Essay	Very important	Considered
Legacy status	Considered	Considered
Work experience	Considered	Not considered
Demonstration of competencies	Considered	Considered
English proficiency test	Required	Considered
Other tests	Considered	Not considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:Cornell University Common Data Set, 2025-26;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Cornell University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Cornell University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Cornell University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why