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Cornell University
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Cornell University - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.24

Diversity

A-
Where does this grade come from?View all Diversity rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

African American 5%
Asian American 16%
Hispanic 6%
International 9%
Native American 0%
White 49%
Unknown 15%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 67%
Common States of Residence
  • California
  • Foreign countries
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 0%
18-19: 23%
20-21: 33%
22-24: 21%
25+: 24%
Female Faculty 32%
Male Faculty 68%
Faculty Diversity African American: 2%
Asian American: 8%
Hispanic: 2%
International: 16%
Native American: 0%
White: 72%
Unknown: 0%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Cornell professes a commitment to diversity, and this is evident on campus by the numerous clubs, organizations, and classes dedicated to a variety of ethnicities, races, religions, and political views. There are also many international students and faculty. Support services are available for every walk of life. However, these services may dwindle in the future as increasing budget cuts hit groups and departments dedicated to minority services. In recent years, bias-related incidents have risen on campus—ignorance and outright racism does still exist—but this is still the exception, not the rule.

Overall, students are ambivalent in regards to the diversity of Cornell’s actual student population. Some feel that the school is populated by a majority of Asians and whites from New York City and the Long Island area. Certain Cornellians feel separated from minority groups, while others have a culturally and ethnically diverse mix of friends. Without a doubt, the student body represents a broad range of ideas and backgrounds, even if social scenarios don’t always favor integration. As long as you’re aware of the many groups and their activities on campus, you will have ample opportunity to mix with all different types of people.
 

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Cornell Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at Cornell University

candystripe001

Mechanical Engineering and Technology '12

4.2
A-

Good Mix of Students

There is a good mix of students at Cornell, because of the different colleges. The engineering school tends to attract a high number of asian and international students, while some of the other colleges attract more white students and european international students. You will easily find a solid number for any ethnic group.

Apr 10, 2012

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Diversity at Cornell University

joanneh91

Biology '14

3.8
B+

Extremely Diverse

Depends on where you are on campus. If you're near the chemistry/biology/physics/engineering buildings, you'll see lots of asians. If you're near the track, you'll see mostly whites and blacks.

Apr 10, 2012

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Diversity at Cornell University

5ongeur

Economics and Econometrics '15

3.1
B-

It's Diverse, With a Catch

Cornell has a lot of diverse students, both ethnically and religiously. but they tend to stick together so having a diverse group of friends can be difficult.

Mar 24, 2012

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Page 1 of 9
User rating for Cornell University - Diversity is 4.6 out of 5 based on 27 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How diverse is the student body in the following areas?

How diverse is your personal circle of friends in the following areas?

How accepting is the campus community as a whole toward someone who falls into the minority (ethnic, sexual, or religious)?

How would you best describe your personal political beliefs?

How would you best describe the political beliefs of campus as a whole?

Facts

Gay Pride

There are different student groups dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students’ issues, as well as a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center on campus. There are also numerous classes in the Feminist, Gender, Sexuality Studies program.

Political Activity

Political activity is common on Cornell’s campus. In addition to the standard Cornell Democrats and College Republicans, there are a number of smaller social-justice-oriented clubs on campus, focusing on issues ranging from anti-war to the environment to immigrants’ rights. All of these groups make their views known through protests, information campaigns, and other activities. Ithaca is known to be a very liberal town, and this trend tends to influence the campus political climate as well.

Economic Status

Students are from various socio-economic backgrounds. There’s a natural impetus to assume that the majority of the students, due to the high price of an Ivy League university, are wealthy, but there is a huge disparity of economic status on campus. Many students are not from high-income backgrounds, and they may feel marginalized by Cornell due to the high prices for books, housing, and tuition.

Most Common Religions

Cornell has a large Jewish population, as well as many Christians, Catholics, Hindus, and Muslims. There are a variety of clubs on campus, as well as services at Sage Chapel, a non-denominational house of worship on the campus. Special holiday-themed activities, such as Christmas caroling or Shabbat 1000+, are common.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Sample: La Asociacion Latina; Black Students Union; Minority Business Students Organization; Mosaic; African, Latino, Asian, Native American Programming Board; Asian Pacific Americans for Action; Hillel; Indonesian Association; Islamic Alliance for Justice; Multicultural Greek Letter Council; Direct Action to Stop Heterosexism; The Association for Students of Color

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Mandy Kain and Radhika Arora
Hometown
Hewlett, N.Y., and Ithaca, N.Y.

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.