Cornell College is one of the few truly distinctive colleges.  Founded in 1853, Cornell is recognized as one of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges.  It is Cornell’s combination of special features, however, that distinguishes it.  An attractively diverse college of 1,200 students from 45 states and 15 foreign countries, it is a place where theory and practice are brought together in exciting ways through the college’s One-Course-At-A-Time (OCAAT) academic calendar. The college’s beautiful; hilltop campus is one of only two campuses in the United States listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in the charming town of Mount Vernon, Cornell is also within commuting distance of Iowa City (home of the University of Iowa) and Cedar Rapids. It is within a 3-5 hour drive of such major Midwestern metropolitan areas as Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, St.  Louis, and Kansas City.

OCAAT provides students and faculty a flexible and creative learning environment where there is no interference from competing classes. More like a seminar than a class, the average course has 15 students and moves at a lively pace keeping students focused and engaged. Students enjoy learning as they immerse themselves in a single subject for a three-and-a-half week term.  Cornell’s student-faculty ratio of 12:1 enables our exceptional faculty to provide students with highly personalized experience.  Perhaps the greatest advantage of OCAAT – your professors (there are no teaching assistants here) teach just One-Course-At-A-Time.  This results in strong academic and mentor relationships with professors across all disciplines.

Students choose from more than 40 majors or create individualized majors; and two-thirds graduate with double majors. Internships, study abroad, and student research programs are also common, as OCAAT provides a powerful and flexible structure for off-campus study.