Cornell University ranks second among New York colleges and universities in WalletHub’s 2027 study, with the University of Rochester and Binghamton University also placing in the state’s top 10.
The WalletHub rankings compare schools on admissions, costs, faculty resources, campus conditions and student outcomes. Cornell led the New York schools evaluated in post-attendance median salary, but ranked much lower on net cost.
Columbia University finished first statewide, followed by Cornell, Cooper Union, Hamilton College and Barnard College. Vassar College, New York University and Colgate University took sixth through eighth, with Rochester ninth and Binghamton tenth.
Cornell’s earnings ranking contrasts with its cost ranking
Cornell’s strongest results in WalletHub’s New York snapshot were in earnings, graduation and admissions selectivity.
Among the 61 New York institutions in the comparison, Cornell ranked first in post-attendance median salary, second in graduation rate and second in admission rate, a measure that favors more selective schools.
It also ranked third in gender and racial diversity and seventh in student-faculty ratio. Its results were weaker on net cost, where it placed 54th, and on-campus crime, where it ranked 34th.
Those figures are relative rankings, not dollar amounts or actual graduation, admission or crime rates. They show where Cornell placed within WalletHub’s comparison rather than what an individual student would pay or earn.
The salary measure also is not a starting salary for new graduates. WalletHub defines it as median earnings 10 years after entering school among former students who received federal financial aid.
How WalletHub built the rankings
WalletHub evaluated 738 institutions using 30 measures across seven categories, with data collected as of Sept. 14, 2026.
Admissions selectivity carried the largest weight, at 25% of the total score. Cost and financing and educational outcomes each accounted for 20%, career outcomes for 15%, faculty resources for 10%, and campus safety and campus experience for 5% each.
The study focuses on undergraduate data at public and private nonprofit institutions offering four-year or higher programs. Some schools were excluded because of data limitations.
The results therefore reflect WalletHub’s selected measures and weights, rather than a universal answer about which school is best for every applicant.
In its separate national rankings, WalletHub placed Princeton University first among universities and Wellesley College first among colleges.
Families should compare actual costs and academic fit
Experts whose comments accompanied the study urged families to look beyond a school’s reputation and published tuition price.
Marybeth Gasman, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, said highly selective universities can be worth the cost when they offer substantial financial aid. But families should compare the price they would actually pay after aid, rather than assuming a prestigious school justifies substantial borrowing.
Gasman said public universities, community colleges with strong transfer pathways and minority-serving institutions can also offer strong value when affordability is paired with graduation support, advising and career preparation.
Sean Walker, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said the calculation depends on a student’s financial aid, intended career and academic needs. He recommended considering specialized programs, hands-on learning, internship and employment placement, and alumni connections.
Will Hawks, an assistant professor at Nova Southeastern University, encouraged students to build their own criteria instead of relying on a ranking formula. His recommendations included examining wage data, curricula, faculty experience, employer partnerships and where graduates live and work.
Gasman also recommended applying for grants and scholarships, limiting unnecessary borrowing and meeting with an adviser early to avoid taking courses out of sequence. Internships, undergraduate research, mentoring and career services can help students prepare for employment, she said.
For students considering Cornell, the university’s fall 2027 application guidance lists Nov. 1 as the early decision application deadline, with other required materials due Nov. 13. Regular decision applications are due Jan. 2, with other required materials due Jan. 19.
Cornell describes early decision as a binding commitment and encourages applicants to use its financial aid calculators and review aid deadlines before applying.
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