What Cornell College does

Cornell College is a private, non-profit liberal arts college founded in 1853 and located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. It is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by President Jonathan Brand, with Rob Levis joining as Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer in July 2025. The institution serves approximately 1,000-1,100 undergraduate students drawn from 45 states, US territories, international military posts, and 13 foreign countries, organized around first-year, transfer, and international admissions channels.

The college's core differentiator is its "One Course At A Time" block plan, implemented in 1978, in which students enroll in a single course for 18 days at a time across eight blocks per academic year, with average class size of 16-17. This calendar underpins the Ingenuity Curriculum (First-Year Seminar, Writing Seminar, Second-Year Seminar, Explorations, Building Essential Abilities) and the Ingenuity in Action experiential-learning graduation requirement, supported by the Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI) and the Berry Career Institute. Faculty quality is high, with 99% holding terminal degrees.

Cornell's revenue model is subscription/recurring tuition and fees, heavily subsidized: 99.9% of students receive financial aid, with an average aid package of $44,332 for the Class of 2026. The institution is diversifying program offerings — launching Community and Public Health and Commercial Music majors in Fall 2025 — while simultaneously discontinuing five humanities/language majors for 2026-2027. Its "Save Your Seat" price-first admission initiative, introduced in 2026, signals a strategic response to affordability-driven enrollment pressure. The college holds no patents, has no AI/ML capabilities, and operates as a single legal entity with no parent company or external equity backing.

Name

Cornell College

Legal name

Cornell College

Website

https://cornellcollege.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, founded in 1853, serving roughly 1,000 undergraduates through a distinctive one-course-at-a-time block plan with average class size of 16-17 and 99.9% of students receiving financial aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Liberal Arts Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH)

Keywords

• Liberal arts education
• Undergraduate programs
• Block plan curriculum
• Experiential learning
• Residential college

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Vernon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition and fees for undergraduate education, with 99.9% of students receiving financial assistance

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, offering four-year undergraduate education built around a distinctive One Course At A Time block plan in which students take only one course at a time for 18 days. The college pairs this calendar with the Ingenuity Curriculum, requiring experiential learning through internships, undergraduate research, study abroad, and similar real-world experiences as a graduation requirement. Support services include the Berry Career Institute, Cole Library, Cornell Summer Research Institute, and NCAA Division III athletics.

Product overview

Cornell College is a liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, offering a distinctive educational experience centered on its 'One Course At A Time' block plan system. The college provides undergraduate education across multiple academic disciplines, supported by the Ingenuity core curriculum for first and second-year students. Experiential learning is emphasized through the Ingenuity in Action program and Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI). Student support services include the Berry Career Institute for career preparation and Cole Library for academic resources. The college serves students from 45 states, territories, and 13 foreign countries, with recent program additions including new majors in commercial music and community and public health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ingenuity Curriculum: The core curriculum at Cornell College, built to work with the One Course At A Time block plan, guiding students through foundational seminars, writing, citizenship, and experiential learning.
• One Course At A Time
• Ingenuity in Action
• Save Your Seat
• Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI)

Products and services

• One Course At A Time (Block Plan)
• Ingenuity Curriculum
• Ingenuity in Action
• Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI)
• Berry Career Institute
• Cole Library
• Athletics Program (Cornell Rams)
• Off-Campus Study Programs
• Commercial Music Major
• Community and Public Health Major

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% medical school acceptance rate (2008-2022) compared to 40% national average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Muscogee (Creek) NationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Cornell College returned a Native American funerary statue to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation after holding it for 125 years. The artifact originated from Georgia and was removed from a burial site in the 20th century. The return ceremony took place September 30, with efforts to rebury it near the Etowah Mounds State Historic Site. This is part of a broader movement to repatriate cultural items and correct past injustices.
• Mayo ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell students complete research fellowships at Mayo Clinic, including positions in sleep medicine, neurology, and general medical research. Multiple students have documented their experiences through weekly blog posts during 10-week internships.
• Baruch Marine Field LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell students conduct environmental science and marine biology research at the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory in South Carolina. Students complete internships focused on coastal ecosystem research, wildlife management, and conservation studies.
• Children's Hospital ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell students complete medical and healthcare internships at Children's Hospital Colorado, gaining clinical experience in pediatric medicine and healthcare research.
• Berry Career InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal college department that works with students to identify internship and research opportunities. Helps students explore career paths after Cornell and connects them with employers and research institutions.
• Ingenuity in Action Funding PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonors and friends of the college who help fund the Ingenuity in Action program, which helps students afford internship and travel experiences and invites students into businesses and organizations as interns and researchers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Beloit College: Beloit is a small private liberal arts college in Wisconsin with comparable size, mission, and applicant demographics, serving as a near-substitute option for prospective Cornell students.
• Lawrence University: Lawrence is a private Midwestern liberal arts college and conservatory of music, comparable in size, residential model, and selective admissions profile.
• Colorado College: Colorado College is the most direct peer to Cornell — both operate under the One Course At A Time block plan model and serve similar-sized residential liberal arts undergraduate populations with strong experiential learning components.
• Grinnell College: Grinnell is a private Midwestern liberal arts college in Iowa, comparable in size and selective admissions profile, competing directly with Cornell for the same pool of high-achieving undergraduates.
• Carleton College: Carleton is a high-prestige Midwestern liberal arts college with similar academic profile, comparable selectivity, and overlapping recruiting geography in the upper Midwest.
• Coe College: Coe is a private liberal arts college located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa — essentially in Cornell's backyard — competing for the same regional Iowa applicant pool with overlapping curricular offerings.
• Knox College: Knox is a private Midwestern liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, comparable in size, selectivity, and residential liberal arts model, competing for the same regional pool of traditional undergraduates.
• Lake Forest College: Lake Forest is a small private liberal arts college north of Chicago with comparable enrollment scale and a similar liberal arts curriculum emphasizing individualized faculty-student engagement.
• St. Olaf College: St. Olaf is a residential liberal arts college in Minnesota, comparable in size, Lutheran-affiliated academic mission, and selective undergraduate focus, drawing from the same regional applicant pool.
• Hendrix College: Hendrix is a private liberal arts college in Arkansas with comparable enrollment scale, residential model, and emphasis on undergraduate research and pre-professional outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CornellCollege
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CornellCollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/19224549715
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornellcollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornell-college

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornell College