Cornell University, founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, is one of the most distinctive universities in America — an Ivy League institution with a uniquely broad, democratic mission. Ezra Cornell's founding motto — "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study" — has guided Cornell's development into one of the most comprehensive research universities in the world, offering programs in everything from agriculture and hotel management to physics and architecture alongside its elite liberal arts and engineering programs.
Cornell's campus in Ithaca, New York, set amid the spectacular gorges and waterfalls of the Finger Lakes region, is widely considered one of the most beautiful in the United States. The university sits on a hill overlooking Cayuga Lake — the longest of the Finger Lakes — with breathtaking views across the water to the hills beyond. Six gorges cross the campus, creating natural swimming holes, hiking trails, and some of the most dramatic scenery to be found on any university campus in the world. The famous Suspension Bridge over Fall Creek Gorge, the Llenroc mansion, and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art (designed by I.M. Pei) are among the campus highlights.
Cornell enrolls approximately 25,000 students across 15 colleges and schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, the SC Johnson College of Business, the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, and the renowned School of Hotel Administration (SHA) — the world's premier hospitality management program, producing a disproportionate share of the global hotel industry's leadership. The Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City provides a dynamic urban complement to the Ithaca experience.
Cornell has a notably global character. The university's graduate programs attract thousands of international students each year, and Cornell's research collaborations span the globe. The university maintains one of the most extensive systems of international programs among Ivy League schools.
Distinguished alumni include Toni Morrison (Nobel Prize in Literature), Bill Nye, E.B. White, Kurt Vonnegut, Christopher Reeve, Charles Evans Hughes, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as well as an extraordinary concentration of leaders in hospitality, agriculture, veterinary medicine, and the life sciences.
Ithaca is located approximately 250 miles northwest of New York City — approximately 4 to 4.5 hours by luxury SUV, a scenic drive through the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes. Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH) offers connecting flights from major hubs. MyNYSUV provides comfortable, direct door-to-door luxury SUV service from JFK, Newark, and all New York-area airports to Cornell's Ithaca campus. For move-in weekends — typically in late August — we strongly recommend booking at least one week in advance. We also serve the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island for families arriving in New York City.