Location
- Cornell University
- Ithaca, NY
- University of Southern California
- Los Angeles, CA
Cornell University vs University of Southern California
Ithaca, NY · Los Angeles, CA · largest Scorecard gap: median debt at graduation
Scorecard match plate
Pair NY:CA
PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-TIGHT · NET-SPLIT · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-DEBT
- PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
- CROSS-STATE NY × CA
- ACCEPT-TIGHT Tight admission
- NET-SPLIT Net-price split
- EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
- GAP-DEBT Largest gap · Median Debt at Graduation
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Nearly parallel enrollment growth
ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023
Undergraduate headcount rose at both Cornell University and University of Southern California across 2013–2023 on similar paces, while acceptance rates tightened on both sides, a growth-under-squeeze pattern rather than a pure size race.
- University of Southern California: enrollment grew +15.1% over 2013–2023; fitted +285 students/yr fitted, r² 0.94.
- Cornell University: enrollment grew +11.4% over 2013–2023; fitted +168 students/yr fitted, r² 0.87.
- Cornell University: acceptance rate tightened -47.6% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.94).
- University of Southern California: acceptance rate tightened -49.5% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.80).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
- Cornell University
- 15,995
Median Debt at Graduation
- Cornell University
- $14,000
Median Earnings (6 yr)
- Cornell University
- $87,830
Avg Net Price
- Cornell University
- $28,690
Median Earnings (10 yr)
- Cornell University
- $104,043
Acceptance Rate
- Cornell University
- 8.8%
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
- Cornell University
- 90.5%
In-State Tuition
- Cornell University
- $69,314
Out-of-State Tuition
- Cornell University
- $69,314
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | Cornell University Ithaca, NY | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Ithaca, NY | Los Angeles, CA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 15,995 | 20,443 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $14,000 | $18,000 |
| Median Earnings (6 yr) | $87,830 | $74,461 |
| Avg Net Price | $28,690 | $32,740 |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $104,043 | $92,498 |
| Acceptance Rate | 8.8% | 9.8% |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 90.5% | 83.9% |
| In-State Tuition | $69,314 | $72,097 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $69,314 | $72,097 |
Largest gaps: Cornell University vs University of Southern California
- MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA Cornell University leads on median debt at graduation ($14,000 vs $18,000 at University of Southern California)
- MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(6 Cornell University leads on median earnings (6 yr) ($87,830 vs $74,461 at University of Southern California)
- AVG-NET-PRICE Cornell University leads on avg net price ($28,690 vs $32,740 at University of Southern California)
Cornell University profile · University of Southern California profile · Compare other colleges
Also on the Scorecard board
Median Debt at Graduation and other Scorecard questions
On median debt at graduation, who leads between Cornell University and University of Southern California?▼
Cornell University leads on median debt at graduation at $14,000 versus $18,000 at University of Southern California. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (6 yr), who leads between Cornell University and University of Southern California?▼
Cornell University leads on median earnings (6 yr) at $87,830 versus $74,461 at University of Southern California. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On avg net price, who leads between Cornell University and University of Southern California?▼
Cornell University leads on avg net price at $28,690 versus $32,740 at University of Southern California. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); median debt at graduation focus for this pair · 2025