We're Not in Ithaca

Let’s face it: over the years, there’s been a certain amount of confusion over the distinction between Cornell College and, well, the other Cornell. From misdirected applications to misguided visits, sharing a name hasn’t always been easy.

So we’d like to set the record straight: we got here first. Cornell College was founded in 1853, 15 years before the similarly named university got its start. And we’re not one to brag, but we have a higher percentage of alumni listed in Who’s Who in America than they do.

A few more notes on Cornell v. Cornell:

The two institutions were not named for the same person, but our namesake (William W. Cornell) and theirs (Ezra Cornell) were distant cousins.
The college has about 1,200 undergraduate students. The university: more than 13,000.
College faculty teach one course at a time. University faculty teach as many as four courses at a time, and as little as zero (that’s what teaching assistants are for, right?).
The college holds two national wrestling team titles; the university holds zero.
Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York, which was named for a Greek island. Cornell College is in the heart of Mount Vernon, Iowa, which got its name from George Washington’s home in Virginia.
Winters in Ithaca are cold and snowy. Winters in Mount Vernon, on the other hand, are … snowy and cold.
Our mascot is a ram; theirs is a bear (Big Red) who seems to have been named after a chewing gum.
Both campuses involve steep inclines. Hence the nicknames “The Hilltop” (us) and “The Hill” (them).
Both campuses feature buildings funded by the Olin Foundation: Olin Hall (both campuses) and Olin Library (the university).
Ithaca is approximately four hours from New York City. Mount Vernon is approximately four hours from Chicago.