Engineering Courses at Cornell University

Established in 1921, the Cornell University College of Engineering falls under the institutional umbrella of the Cornell University based in Ithaca, New York.

The institute that traces its roots as far back as 1870, is among the top 30 engineering institutions in the world, securing a global rank #30, as part of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Rankings 2025. It is known to offer a range of engineering courses across several prominent streams including: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Environmental & Design Engineering, among other such streams. Cornell is among a select group of institutions to be accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. It houses more than 100 interdisciplinary centers, institutes & laboratories that support faculty research & provide an enhanced level of education.

Things to know about Cornell Engineering

Mentioned below are some key facts & figures about Cornell University College of Engineering:

Cornell Engineering History

The Cornell College of Engineering, though first came into existence under its current name, in 1921, originally began in 1870, when Hiram Sibley, one of the 10 incorporators of the Cornell Uniiversity provided the funds that led to the establishment of the Sibley College of Mechanical Engineering & Mechanic Arts.

The institute began offering courses soon after, with Electrical Engineering beginning to be taught in 1883.

It oversaw a number of revolutionary engineering inventions which included the first electric elevator (1891), first physics-only journal (Physical Review, 1893) & the first significant wind tunnel (1901), among other discoveries over the span of its 150+ year history.

Cornell, now stands as one of the best engineering universities in the world, housing 12 schools & departments & over 450 engineering courses under its institutional umbrella.

Admission deadlines at Cornell varies for different courses. Given below are the deadlines for some of the institute’s most prominent courses:

NOTE: The deadline for 2025 admissions to Electrical & Computer Engineering program has passed, given above is the tentative deadline for 2026 entry at Cornell.

For more admission deadline related info, students are advised to refer the official Cornell Engineering website.

Students interested in pursuing respective higher studies from Cornell, must satisfy the institute’s general eligibility requirements including securing valid scores in past academics & university entrance-exams, & providing required documents on time.

The admission requirements may vary for different courses, given below are the admission requirements candidates interested in Computer Science must satisfy:

• Two letters of recommendation
• A Statement of Purpose
• A Personal Statement
• Transcripts of all college-level & school-level work
• Proof of valid passport & student visa
• Provide valid SAT & ACT test scores (if applicable)
• Secure a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 & minimum TOEFL sectional scores as listed below:

Admission process for International Students

The admission process for International students is pretty much the same as the one for first-year applicants. A description of it is given below:

• Visit Cornell’s common application portal & create your account
• Choose your college or school
• Review the institute’s admission requirements
• Submit the required documents
• Submit any writing supplements as asked on the portal
• Submit SAT & ACT scores, if asked by the institute
• Complete & submit the application
• Wait for an official response to arrive

Located as part of the Carpenter Hall in Ithaca, New York, the Cornell Engineering campus makes students feel right at home.

Though the campus is very large & diverse, the university’s 15,000-strong faculty is there to take care of students at every step of their educational journey.

All of the campus’s facilities are available to students within close vicinity of each other including the Tatkon Center for New Students, community centers, convenience stores, award-winning dining facilities & multiple athletic facilities in the form of dance studios, basketball & tennis courts, sand volleyball court, bowling alley & more.

Freshman students are general based in the university’s North Campus, with the housing capacity of 3,300 freshman students.

Upper-level students are given the flexibility to choose their own accommodation. They can opt to join a fraternity, sorority or co-op, stay in a themed residential hall as part of the North Campus or move off-campus.

With the availability of 1,000+ student clubs, 37 Division 1 varsity teams, intramural sports & other recreation facilities, there is something for everyone at Cornell.

In their free-time, students can also choose to explore the scenic hills of the Ithaca region, have dinner at famous restaurants, look at art galleries, museums & more.

For Housing, both on-campus & off-campus options are available:

• On-Campus: The university provides on-campus accommodation to students as part of its residence halls. All halls have single & double bed-rooms, with some also possessing triple or quad number of beds along with other facilities such as elevator access, air conditioning, wheel-chair accessible rooms, & or private bathrooms. The on-campus facilities include a network of staff members, upper-level students & the university’s faculty that provide a safe & supportive residential environment.

• Off-Campus: The university provides a dedicated off-campus housing facility that connects students with local landlords willing to offer accommodation. This is vital for saving time & protecting international students from fraud, while providing them accommodations that are good value for money.