HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Pennsylvania vs Cornell University

University of Pennsylvania clears +$3.50M in 30-year net value, Cornell University +$1.90M — both pay off, University of Pennsylvania by +$1.60M.

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.

University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA

clears more

30-year net value
+$3.50M
Total cost of attendance
$338,400
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$100,635
Breaks even by age
34

Cornell University · Ithaca, NY

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). “University of Pennsylvania vs Cornell University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/penn-vs-cornell

Keep comparing

Questions

Is University of Pennsylvania or Cornell University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, University of Pennsylvania clears +$3.50M and Cornell University +$1.90M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of Pennsylvania comes out ahead by +$1.60M. 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 University of Pennsylvania pay off than Cornell University?
About +$1.60M over a 30-year horizon (+$3.50M vs +$1.90M 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 University of Pennsylvania?
+$3.50M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $338,400, median earnings ten years out $100,635, breaking even around age 34. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.