Cornell College, a selective liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, attracts a colorful community of diverse, empathetic neighbors—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—who care about each other. Cornell’s block plan is one reason it is included in “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges.” Professors and their students focus on one class per 18-day block. It’s the innovative—some might say ingenious—foundation of every Cornellian’s education. Flexible, experiential. Cornell has been living, learning, and teaching on the block plan, One Course At A Time, since 1978 when it left the semester plan behind. Research, internships, service opportunities, and block-long courses that take the students and professors off-campus and even out of the country are made possible due to the block’s flexibility.
Distinctive Facts & Features
Cornell College’s One Course At A Time curriculum takes a distinctive approach to a liberal arts education by offering life-changing immersion in a single academic subject per academic block.
Cornell’s STEM space doubled with the opening of Russell Science Center in 2018, along with West Science Hall being completely renovated.
92% of the Class of 2024 completed their degree in four years.
Cornell’s entire campus is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cornell is one of only 293 U.S. colleges with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society.
Student Profile
Male: 53%
Female: 42%
Undeclared gender: 5%
In-state Students: 31%
Out-of-State Students: 69%
States represented: 48, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
Foreign countries represented: 26
Domestic students of color: 26%
Most Popular Majors
Kinesiology-Exercise Science
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Psychology-Specialist
Computer Science
English and Creative Writing
Business Finance
Secondary Education Certification
History
Biology
Politics
Cost
Tuition: $54,056
Room & Board: $12,064
Financial Aid Data
99.1% of students receive financial assistance.
Cornell’s financial aid budget for 2024-25 is $36.99 million.
Class Size
Faculty-student ratio: 1:14
Average class size: 16
All classes capped at 25 students
Faculty
74 full-time faculty
99% of faculty hold a doctorate or terminal degree
Athletics and Intramural Activities
NCAA Division III
Intercollegiate teams: 20
50% of students participate in intercollegiate athletics
Co-curricular Activities
Cornell has over 50 clubs and group involvement opportunities, including student organizations, local Greek organizations; academic honor societies, and intramural teams.
Cornell’s Mock Trial program, established in 2006, has qualified for the national championship tournament eight times, competing against large state schools and Ivy League universities.
Cornell's student-run Performing Arts and Activities Council (PAAC) provides frequent entertainment, bringing in bands, comedians, hypnotists, game shows, Casino Night, and craft programs.
