HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Columbia University in the City of New York vs Cornell University

Cornell University clears +$1.90M in 30-year net value, Columbia University in the City of New York +$1.47M — both pay off, Cornell University by +$427K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY

30-year net value
+$1.47M
Total cost of attendance
$339,884
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$82,828
Breaks even by age
47

Cornell University · Ithaca, NY

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.90M
Total cost of attendance
$338,272
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$87,206
Breaks even by age
42
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Columbia University in the City of New York vs Cornell University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/columbia-vs-cornell

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Questions

Is Columbia University in the City of New York or Cornell University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Cornell University clears +$1.90M and Columbia University in the City of New York +$1.47M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Cornell University comes out ahead by +$427K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Cornell University pay off than Columbia University in the City of New York?
About +$427K over a 30-year horizon (+$1.90M vs +$1.47M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Columbia University in the City of New York?
+$1.47M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $339,884, median earnings ten years out $82,828, breaking even around age 47. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.