Cornell University

Cornell suffers from an identity crisis between its elite private colleges and large public land-grant divisions, often considered the easiest Ivy to get into, yet its brand inflates expectations beyond what most students encounter. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with 3,600 undergraduates, has a median starting salary of $58,000—15% less than the average Ivy—proving Cornell combines high cost ($83,000 per year) with diluted prestige. Its acceptance rate of 10.2% makes it more accessible than #3 Penn, but many graduates feel the Ivy cachet masks inconsistent educational quality across the university's sprawling Ithaca campus.