Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa · Private Nonprofit · 79.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 42/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Cornell College (Iowa) scores 42 (Below Benchmark). The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.783 with $27,000 median debt means graduates owe nearly 80% of a year's earnings before they start building wealth. The Rhetoric program (9 graduates, debt-to-earnings 1.480) is the worst financial outcome. Cornell College is known for its One Course at a Time curriculum - an academic differentiator that has not translated into earnings that justify the private-college price.
How Cornell College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score42/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Cornell College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $52,660/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $52,660/yr |
| Average net price | $23,634/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $94,536 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $53,460 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 61.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,086 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $52,660/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,634/year, or roughly $94,536 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $16,409/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,298/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,500) and comes to 0.78, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $16,409 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,513 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,177 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,944 |
| $110,001+ | $29,298 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-$30,000 income bracket pays $16,409 per year, and the average six-year earnings figure is $34,500. The 32.1% Pell rate confirms significant low-income enrollment.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $20,177 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket rises to $22,944 per year. At these prices, the 12.7-year payback at median earnings requires clear program selection. CS is the only program where the math works cleanly for middle-income families. Most other programs at these net prices produce slow financial returns.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000 or more pay $29,298 per year - $117,192 over four years. Against $34,500 average six-year earnings, the full-price ROI case at Cornell College is weak.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Cornell College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $42,127 | - |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $59,195 | D |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | $64,510 | C |
| Computer Science | $84,938 | - |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $38,299 | - |
| Teacher Education | $47,762 | C |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $18,241 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Computer Science
CS (15 graduates) reaches $84,938 at year four with no year-one data available. This is Cornell College's highest four-year earning program and the only one with strong financial prospects. Small program size limits Scorecard confidence, but CS graduates from any accredited institution compete in the remote/hybrid tech market, and the One Course at a Time format may actually advantage students who can do intensive programming sprints. No debt data compounds the uncertainty.
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Management Sciences (24 graduates) earns $42,127 year one with no year-four data. This is the largest quantitative business program at Cornell College. Students in this program need clear career plans to manage the payback period.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biochemistry (16 graduates) earns $39,164 year one and $64,510 year four with a C-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.689 and $27,000 median debt. The year-one figure reflects graduate school enrollment suppressing near-term earnings; the four-year figure suggests meaningful career advancement or professional school entry. Students planning medical or graduate school in biochemistry face additional borrowing beyond the undergraduate figure.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education (11 graduates) earns $42,756 year one and $47,762 year four with a C-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.631 and $27,000 median debt. Iowa teacher wages are modest, and the year-one to year-four earnings growth is limited.
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Rhetoric (9 graduates) earns only $18,241 year one with an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.480 and $27,000 median debt. Year-one earnings of $18,241 are below any standard of comfortable repayment for $27,000 in student loans. This is the worst financial outcome at Cornell College.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 74.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 77.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 79.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 86.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Cornell College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 79.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 545-630 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 575-655 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 23-30 |
| Enrollment | 1,086 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 32.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,926 |
Cornell College admits 79.9% of applicants with SAT Math 545-630 and Reading 575-655, ACT composite 23-30. This is a broadly accessible selective institution. The One Course at a Time format functions as an admissions self-selector: students who want intensive focus periods will apply; students who want survey breadth will not.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell College (this school) | 42 | $23,634 | $53,460 |
| Briar Cliff University | 46 | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| Nichols College | 45 | $33,036 | $58,063 |
| Goucher College | 43 | $22,470 | $53,023 |
| Buena Vista University | 39 | $18,846 | $49,156 |
| Geneva College | 38 | $25,890 | $50,004 |
Who Thrives Here
The 79.9% acceptance rate is broadly accessible. The One Course at a Time curriculum is a genuine academic differentiator for self-directed learners but is not a substitute for career preparation in high-demand fields.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Cornell College scores 42/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,634 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $53,460 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12.7 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Cornell College: Common Questions
Is Cornell College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Cornell College scores 42/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,634 a year after aid against $53,460 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Cornell College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $23,634 a year, or roughly $94,536 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Cornell College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $53,460 ten years after enrolling, roughly $11,660 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Cornell College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 12.7 years for Cornell College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Cornell College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $34,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Cornell College?
The six-year graduation rate is 61.8%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.