Cornell College

What is the history of Cornell College?

Cornell College was founded in 1853 in Mount Vernon, Iowa, as Mount Vernon Conference Seminary. It became Cornell College in 1857. The college is distinct from Cornell University in New York; the two institutions have separate histories and administrations.

A defining academic change came in 1978, when Cornell adopted its One Course At A Time calendar. Rather than taking several classes concurrently, students concentrate on one course during each approximately three-and-a-half-week block. That structure still shapes the college's teaching, scheduling, and off-campus learning opportunities.

What are the faculties and departments at Cornell College?

Cornell College is a small liberal arts college offering undergraduate study across the humanities, arts, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional fields. Its academic organization centers on programs and departments rather than a set of separately named undergraduate schools.

Students can explore subjects such as biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, psychology, politics, writing, music, theater, business, and education. The college also offers interdisciplinary options. Applicants interested in teaching or another licensed profession should examine the specific program's requirements, since completing a major and qualifying for a professional credential are not necessarily the same thing.

One Course At A Time can make laboratory work, field study, and intensive projects easier to schedule without competing classes. It also means each course moves quickly: a student who misses several days may miss a substantial portion of a block.

What is the location of Cornell College?

Cornell College is in Mount Vernon, Iowa, a small community east of Cedar Rapids. Its residential campus and compact town setting differ from those of a college embedded in a large city.

Cedar Rapids provides access to a larger employment market, shopping, and the region's main airport. Travel between Mount Vernon and those destinations generally requires arranging a ride or driving, so students considering off-campus work or frequent air travel should plan for transportation. First-year students are permitted to register or park a car on campus, subject to current parking rules.

What is the mission and vision of Cornell College?

Cornell College describes its educational purpose in terms of liberal learning, inquiry, and preparing students to contribute beyond college. Its One Course At A Time approach is central to how it pursues those goals: students focus intensively on a subject before moving to the next.

The college has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. That institutional background is relevant to its history, but applicants should not assume that enrollment requires a particular religious identity or that every academic or campus activity is religious. As with any mission statement, the college's stated aims describe its priorities rather than independently measured outcomes.