Cornell's BS in Hotel Administration, housed within the SC Johnson College of Business, is the single most globally recognized undergraduate hospitality management degree in the world, and the program that effectively invented hospitality management as an academic discipline when Cornell launched it in 1922. For applicants weighing Cornell Hotel Administration against schools like EHL, Glion, or other specialized hospitality programs, the pitch is unmatched: a full Ivy League degree, Cornell's broader academic and recruiting network, and a program whose graduates run some of the largest hotel, restaurant, and hospitality-adjacent companies in the world.
This guide walks through what it takes to get into Cornell's Hotel Administration program: acceptance rate realities, cost, requirements, English-test rules, and where graduates go on to work.
Acceptance Rate: What Cornell Actually Publishes
Cornell does not publish a separate acceptance rate for Hotel Administration. What we know, grounded in Cornell's own published data:
- Cornell's university-wide undergraduate acceptance rate is 8.4% for the Class of 2029 (roughly 6,077 admits from about 72,500 applications), with a notable gap between Early Decision (18.8%) and Regular Decision (6.7%).
- Cornell's acceptance rate varies by undergraduate college, since applicants apply directly to one of Cornell's seven undergraduate colleges rather than to the university broadly. Hotel Administration sits within the SC Johnson College of Business, and Cornell has not published a specific acceptance rate for this program.
- Given Hotel Administration's status as one of the most recognized and oversubscribed hospitality programs globally, applicants should not assume it is meaningfully easier to enter than the 8.4% university-wide average, even though it isn't Cornell's most quantitative or STEM-heavy major.
Bottom line: treat 8.4% as the best available reference point, understanding it is a university-wide figure rather than a program-specific one, and that Hotel Administration's own selectivity is not separately published.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Cornell prices tuition at its standard endowed-college rate, which applies to Hotel Administration and to essentially all international undergraduates regardless of college. Approximate annual figures (2026-27, per Cornell's published cost of attendance):
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $73,946 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance (including housing, food, and other costs) | $99,734 |
International and domestic students are charged identical tuition; Cornell's New York State resident discount applies only to its statutory (land-grant) colleges, not the SC Johnson College of Business where Hotel Administration sits. Cornell states its need-blind, full-need financial aid policy extends to international undergraduate applicants as well as domestic ones, though applicants should confirm the current-cycle policy directly, since this differs from several peer Ivies that remain need-aware for international students.
Admission Requirements
Cornell's Hotel Administration admission runs through the Common Application or Coalition Application with a Cornell-specific, SC Johnson College of Business supplement. Based on Cornell's published requirements:
- Common Application or Coalition Application, plus Cornell's college-level supplement (you apply directly to the SC Johnson College of Business, not to Cornell generally)
- Secondary School Report and counselor recommendation
- Teacher recommendation letter(s)
- SAT or ACT scores: the middle-50% range for Cornell's recently admitted class was roughly SAT 1490-1550 and ACT 33-35 (test-optional policy; confirm current-cycle status)
- English Language Proficiency documentation for applicants whose first language is not English and who do not qualify for an exemption
- Application deadlines: Early Decision (binding) on November 1, or Regular Decision on January 2
Cornell does not publish a minimum GPA, but competitive Hotel Administration applicants typically demonstrate genuine engagement with the hospitality, food service, or tourism industry, whether through internships, part-time work, or extracurricular leadership, alongside a strong overall academic record.
How to Get Into Cornell's Hotel Administration Program
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Write your supplemental essay around Hotel Administration and the SC Johnson College of Business specifically, not Cornell generically. Cornell requires applicants to apply directly to one of its seven undergraduate colleges, each with its own supplemental prompts, so demonstrating genuine interest in hospitality management as a discipline matters more here than at universities with one unified application.
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Show real exposure to the hospitality or service industry. Applicants who can point to part-time hospitality work, event management experience, or a demonstrated interest in the business side of hotels and restaurants stand out against applicants who list Hotel Administration simply because it "sounds interesting."
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Get a recommendation that speaks to leadership and interpersonal skills, not just academic performance. Hospitality management is a people-and-operations-driven field, and a recommender who can speak to your leadership in a team or service context adds a dimension a purely academic reference doesn't.
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Submit a strong test score if you choose to submit one. Cornell's recently admitted middle-50% (SAT 1490-1550, ACT 33-35) is close to the university-wide range, since Hotel Administration applicants are evaluated within the same overall competitive pool.
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Apply Early Decision only if Cornell Hotel Administration is genuinely your top choice. Cornell's Early Decision rate (18.8%) runs notably higher than Regular Decision (6.7%), but Early Decision is binding, so it should reflect a genuine first choice, not a strategic move alone.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
For Cornell's full official testing policy, see Cornell University IELTS requirements and Cornell University TOEFL requirements. Cornell's undergraduate English-proficiency floor, which applies to Hotel Administration along with every other undergraduate college, is:
- IELTS: minimum 7.5 overall
- TOEFL: minimum 100 overall (for tests before January 2026); 5.0 (recommended 5.5) on ETS's new 1-6, CEFR-aligned scale for tests from January 2026 onward
- Also accepted: Duolingo English Test (minimum 130), Cambridge English C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency (minimum 191)
- Waiver: not required if English is the applicant's native language or if English has been the primary language of instruction throughout secondary school
Because Hotel Administration involves substantial group presentation, client-facing case work, and hospitality operations coursework delivered in English from the first semester, clearing Cornell's IELTS/TOEFL floor comfortably, with a genuinely strong Speaking score in particular, is worth prioritizing over a bare minimum pass.
Career Outcomes
Cornell does not publish outcomes broken out specifically for Hotel Administration, but Cornell's broader undergraduate outcomes data give a general proxy, alongside the program's own well-established industry reputation:
- Graduation rate: 95% (university-wide undergraduate figure)
- Top recruiters (university-wide undergraduate, general proxy): Google, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Amazon, Deloitte
- Hotel Administration graduates specifically are recruited heavily by major hotel groups (Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt), hospitality-adjacent private equity and real estate investment firms, and management consulting, given the program's century-long reputation as the training ground for senior hospitality-industry leadership, though Cornell does not publish a program-specific breakdown of employers or starting salary
Cornell Hotel Administration's alumni network is genuinely distinctive within hospitality: a large share of senior leadership across major global hotel and restaurant companies are Cornell Hotel School graduates, giving the program's career outcomes a depth in this specific industry that few other undergraduate business degrees can match.
FAQ
Does Cornell publish a separate acceptance rate for Hotel Administration? No. Cornell's published acceptance rate (8.4% for the Class of 2029) is university-wide. Hotel Administration sits within the SC Johnson College of Business, and Cornell has not published a program-specific figure, so treat the university-wide rate as the best available reference point rather than a precise estimate.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Cornell? Cornell's undergraduate floor is IELTS 7.5 overall, TOEFL iBT 100 (for tests before January 2026) or 5.0 on ETS's new 1-6 scale (5.5 recommended) for tests from January 2026 onward, or Duolingo English Test 130. This applies to Hotel Administration along with every other Cornell undergraduate college.
How much does Cornell's Hotel Administration program cost? Tuition is $73,946/year at Cornell's standard endowed-college rate, with a total published cost of attendance of roughly $99,734/year before any financial aid.
Is Cornell need-blind for international Hotel Administration applicants? Cornell's official financial aid materials describe its need-blind, full-need policy as extending to international undergraduate applicants, differing from several peer Ivies that remain need-aware for international students. Confirm the current-cycle policy directly, since this area shifts across cycles industry-wide.
Do I apply directly to Hotel Administration, or to Cornell generally? You apply directly to the SC Johnson College of Business as one of Cornell's seven distinct undergraduate colleges, each with its own supplemental essays. You cannot apply to Cornell generally without selecting a specific college.
What makes Cornell's Hotel Administration program different from other hospitality degrees? It is the program that effectively created hospitality management as an academic discipline in 1922, and it remains the most globally recognized undergraduate hospitality degree, with an alumni network that includes a large share of senior leadership across major hotel and restaurant companies worldwide, on top of being a full Ivy League Cornell degree.