Quad

Head-to-head

Cornell
Simpson

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Simpson's yield is 7 pts higher than Cornell's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Simpson grads earn $5.8K more ten years out than Cornell's ($59,274 vs. $53,460)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  3. 3

    Cornell is more diverse (index 0.51 vs. 0.45)

    Diversity index
  4. 4

    Simpson has 4 pts more first-gen students than Cornell (23% vs. 20%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Simpson has 2 pts more Pell recipients than Cornell (35% vs. 32%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  6. 6

    Simpson graduates 2 pts more of its students than Cornell (67% vs. 64%)

    Graduation rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Cornell admits 80%, Simpson 86%; Simpson's yield is higher, at 22%.

Acceptance rate
Cornell80%
Simpson86%
Quad's selectivity
  • CornellAccessible
  • SimpsonSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
Cornell
1120–1285
SimpsonNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • CornellGPA required
  • SimpsonGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Simpson is a bit larger than Cornell (1,227 vs. 1,086 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Cornell1.1K
Simpson1.2K
Pell Grant share
Cornell32%
Simpson35%

Majors and faculty

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology leads at Cornell, and Health and Wellness at Simpson; Simpson has 12 students per faculty member to Cornell's 14.

Students per faculty member
Cornell14 to 1
Simpson12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • CornellBiochemistry and Molecular Biology12%
  • SimpsonHealth and Wellness, General11%

What each costs

Simpson costs about $1.6K less a year than Cornell on average; grants cover the same share of the price at both, 62%.

Average cost, all students
Cornell$25.3K
Simpson$23.7K
Aid generosity
Cornell62%
Simpson62%

What each pays off

Simpson's former students earn more, a median $59.3K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Cornell$53.5K
Simpson$59.3K
Graduation rate
Cornell64%
Simpson67%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Cornell got less selective while Simpson held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • CornellGrowing+32%
  • SimpsonGrowing+56%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About 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