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Summary
Cornell College is a private institution that was founded in 1853. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,197, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 129 acres. It utilizes a other-based academic calendar. Cornell College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 90. Its tuition and fees are $34,705 (2012-13).
Cornell College is a small, private liberal arts school in Mount Vernon, Iowa, that utilizes a block schedule. This special academic calendar, named One Course At A Time (OCAAT), consists of nine blocks of 18 days each. In a given block, students at Cornell College attend just one class from 9-11 a.m., break for lunch, and then resume from 1-3 p.m., so they focus intensely on just one area of study for a shorter amount of time. Each course under the block schedule counts as four credits in a semester system, and Cornell students must study during eight of the nine blocks each year. Cornell students can use that extra block to do whatever they want, such as interning, traveling abroad, or simply taking a break. Students at Cornell College can choose from more than 30 undergraduate programs and more than 10 pre-professional areas of study, including business and law.
Outside the classroom, students at Cornell College can get involved in more than 100 campus clubs and play intramural sports. More serious athletes can try out for the purple and white Cornell Rams varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division III Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Notable Cornell College alumni include Edgar Helms, founder of the nonprofit Goodwill Industries International Inc.
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Cornell College is recognized as one of the nation's finest and most distinctive liberal arts colleges, offering its students one extraordinary opportunity after another, in the classroom, on campus, and around the world. Cornell is able to provide distinctive learning experiences, which many institutions simply cannot duplicate, through its innovative One Course At A Time (OCAAT) curriculum. Also referred to as the block plan, OCAAT enables students to immerse themselves in a single course of study, each year taking eight different courses during three-and-one-half week terms, or blocks. Students have as much or more classroom time on OCAAT as on a traditional semester calendar. Each course has one clear goal, one set of expectations, one final exam, and there is no rushing to another class or balancing multiple assignments. . Faculty are able to creatively design courses that can explore the integration of theory and practice, frequently traveling off-campus for a day, a week, or a month--without the competing demands of a semester calendar. After each block is a four-day 'block break,' which can be a respite or an adventure. Founded in 1853, Cornell's historic hilltop campus is the home of an attractively diverse student body of 1,200 who come from 47 states and 15 countries. Cornell students are intellectually curious, achievement-oriented, fun-loving, and service-minded. They are actively involved in campus life, with more than half in the arts, one-third in athletics, two-thirds in service projects, and most students in at least one of the over 125 student organizations. Cornell has a proud athletic tradition, and in the past two years 10 Ram athletes were named All-Americans and 25 were named to Academic All-America and All-District teams. Cornell is a residential campus with a strong sense of community. Dozens of activities and traditions bind our students together and energize our campus. Here we have Orange Carpet gatherings, Purple Bikes, Music Mondays, the One Book common reading, and New Student Orientation Service Day. The college offers one-of-a-kind, fully-staffed Centers for Extraordinary Opportunity in economics, business, and public policy; law, medicine, and the literary arts, as well as dual degree programs in architecture and engineering. . In 2012-13 the college will be opening the McLennan Center, a new residential classroom facility in Chicago. Students who wish to study abroad may do so for a single block or a full semester through Cornell courses or the college's two international study consortia. Cornell graduates offer prospective employers and graduate schools exciting resumes of accomplishments, internships, and special study experiences. The Cornell Fellows program funds high profile internship opportunities for students. Loren Pope, author of Looking Beyond the Ivy League and Colleges that Change Lives, wrote of Cornell College: "In my book there is no better college, and it produces much more than its share of writers, scholars, and executives." At Cornell College we change lives one course, one internship, one overseas experience, and one friendship at a time for bright, motivated students. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1853 |
| Religious affiliation | United Methodist |
| Academic calendar | other |
| Setting | rural |
| 2011 Endowment | $65,046,494 |
Applying
When applying to Cornell College, it's important to note the application deadline is February 1, and the early action deadline and the early decision deadline are December 1 and November 1, respectively. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due March 1. The application fee at Cornell College is $30. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 45.5 percent and an early acceptance rate of 44.3 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 45.5% |
| Application deadline | February 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | March 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Cornell College is 13:1, and the school has 65.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Cornell College include: Psychology; English Language and Literature/Letters; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Economics, General; and Kinesiology and Exercise Science. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 80.0 percent.
Student Life
Cornell College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,197, with a gender distribution of 46.2 percent male students and 53.8 percent female students. At this school, 91.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 9.0 percent of students live off campus. Cornell College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
| Total enrollment | 1,197 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Cornell College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, health service, and health insurance. Cornell College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Cornell College, 49 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Cornell College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 49% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Cornell College, 76.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $22,760.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $34,705 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $7,900 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
