University of Pennsylvania is the more selective of the two, admitting 5.4% of applicants versus 8.4% at Cornell University. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $16,171 per year at Cornell University versus $12,993 at University of Pennsylvania. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1510–1560 at Cornell University and 1490–1570 at University of Pennsylvania.
| Metric | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 8.4% | 5.4% |
| Early acceptance rate | 11.6% | 14.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1510–1560 | 1490–1570 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.9 | 3.93 |
| Yield rate | 64.0% | 68.0% |
| Class size | 3,500 | 2,400 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $16,171 | $12,993 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $45,325 | $38,570 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
No. University of Pennsylvania is more selective: it admits 5.4% of applicants, versus 8.4% at Cornell University, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $16,171 per year at Cornell University and $12,993 at University of Pennsylvania, so University of Pennsylvania is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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