1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Cornell University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/cornell-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/cornell-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/cornell-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/cornell-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/cornell-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Cornell University graduates earn? The reported median is $113,372 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $83,615 as its benchmark; the difference is $29,757 per year. Four years after completing their degrees, Cornell University graduates who are working and not enrolled post median earnings of $113,372. That level is in the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the peer median of $83,615 by $29,757, among comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university's return pillar at the 99th percentile. Graduates earn about $7,502 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 78th percentile nationally. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,505. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,003. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $6,269. The range between the downside and upside scenarios spans $65,576 to $183,095, reflecting the variation in earnings potential across the university's program clusters. Program-level data underscores this spread: Computer Science, the largest program with 504 degrees awarded, shows median earnings of $223,309, while Biology graduates earn a median of $69,083. Operations Research completers, a smaller program with 80 degrees awarded, reach a median of $151,709 four years after completion. An estimated 31.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $113,372 **Rank for difference from expectations** 78th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Cornell University reported median** $113,372 **Peer schools comparable schools · $29,757 below Cornell University** $83,615 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $7,502 below Cornell University** $105,870 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Cornell University students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 97.8% **Completed within six years** 95.0% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 88.5% Source: Cornell University Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention; B4–B11 six-year completion. Retention and completion follow different entering cohorts. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $65,576 to $183,095, around the reported median of $113,372. Compare the lower scenario with [Cornell University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/cornell-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $65,576 **Median · reported** $113,372 **Higher estimate** $183,095 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Cornell University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Cornell University graduates’ reported earnings are $7,502 above that expectation, the 78th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Cornell University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$15,505 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$8,003 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$7,502 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Cornell University report the highest earnings? The highest-earning program at Cornell University is also the largest. Computer Science awards 504 degrees a year and its graduates earn a median of $223,309 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #3 nationally within its field. Several other large programs sit at more moderate earnings levels. Biology graduates earn $69,083 from 290 degrees awarded, and Azimuth places it #32 in its field. Human Resources Management and Services reports $112,713 across 282 degrees, with a national rank of #1. A smaller program, Agricultural Business and Management, shows earnings of $145,218 from 190 degrees awarded and holds an Azimuth national rank of #1. The spread between the highest- and moderate-earning fields is wide. Cornell University publishes earnings data for 40 bachelor's programs, and 37 hold an Azimuth national rank. Two of the five largest programs—Human Resources Management and Services and Hospitality Administration/Management—each rank #1 in their field nationally, and both also rank #1 in New York. The largest program, Computer Science, awarded 504 degrees and ranks #3 nationally, with graduates earning a median of $223,309 four years after completion. Human Resources Management and Services awarded 282 degrees, ranks #1 nationally, and shows a median of $112,713. Hospitality Administration/Management ranks #1 nationally with 226 degrees awarded and a median of $112,289. Biology, the second-largest program, awarded 290 degrees and ranks #32 nationally, with a median of $69,083. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $223,309 **Operations Research** $151,709 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $147,241 **Agricultural Business and Management** $145,218 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $144,389 **Economics** $137,935 **Mathematics** $134,455 **Engineering, General** $128,207 [Explore Cornell University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/cornell-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a downside of $65,576, a typical outcome of $113,372, and an upside of $183,095. Anchoring the range in named programs, Computer Science graduates earn a median of $223,309 four years after completion, while Biology, one of the largest programs, sits at $69,083. Graduates of Cornell University earn a median of $113,372 four years after completing a degree, placing the university in the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The figure is drawn from an earnings cohort of 3,486 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Graduates earn about $7,502 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, show a typical figure of $113,372. The downside earnings scenario is $65,576 and the upside reaches $183,095. An estimated 31.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).