Is Cornell University a good company to work for?

Cornell University has an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5, based on over 4,091 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 80% of employees would recommend working at Cornell University to a friend and 67% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Cornell University have been left by employees working as Student Library Assistant , Student Assistant and Researcher .

Does Cornell University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Cornell University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Cornell University. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Cornell University?

80% of Cornell University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Cornell University 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Cornell University?

Graduate Research Assistant (195) , Research Assistant (187) , Teaching Assistant (155) , Graduate Student (130) , PhD Student (102) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (76) , Postdoctoral Associate (67) , Research Associate (65) , Postdoctoral Fellow (64) , Administrative Assistant (62) , Postdoctoral Research Associate (55) , PhD Graduate Student (45) , Student Worker (41) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (41) , Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (37)

What are the pros of working at Cornell University according to real employee reviews?

"Good benefits and reason to be in ithaca" ((in 277 reviews)); "The people are great; they are flexible and always there for you to ask questions of." ((in 242 reviews)); "Super easy and flexible hours" ((in 130 reviews)); "Quite and beautiful campus with a lot of collaboration across labs" ((in 102 reviews)); "Diverse and great opportunities to collaborate on many interesting research topics." ((in 73 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Cornell University according to real employee reviews?

"Salary is low and housing difficult to find." ((in 82 reviews)); "Management was poor and didn't listen to the needs of the staff" ((in 34 reviews)); "poor communication with broader college and university leadership" ((in 16 reviews)); "Senior leadership is increasingly out of touch." ((in 15 reviews)); "lack of diversity in older team members" ((in 12 reviews))

What are employees saying about Cornell University layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Cornell University layoffs and their outlook for job security at Cornell University in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Cornell University locations?

Ithaca , New York , Geneva , Washington , Boston , Chicago , Dallas , Warsaw , Schenectady , Brooklyn , Ithaca , East Ithaca , Annandale , Ridgewood , Charlottesville , Binghamton , Buffalo , Corning , Cortland , Elmira , Dryden , Freeville , Trumansburg , Highland , New Paltz , Eastport , Nanuet , Riverhead , White Plains , Canton

Cornell University reviews

4.3

80% would recommend to a friend

(3,706 total reviews)

Martha E. Pollack

71% approve of CEO

67% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (3,706 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Cornell University has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 3,706 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Cornell University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

3.0

Sep 6, 2012

Depends on the Department

Administrative assistant iii

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The pay and benefits are good. Most of the employees are nice. There are educational opportunities, you get to say you worked here which seems to impress people. You get different experiences for different department.

Cons

Not enough staff recognition. Each dept, college and division is run differently, there is no consistency in rules or processing. Some staff have been there forever and are rewarded for flying under the radar. Does not encourage growth or out of the box thinking. A lot of people with power issues or people who are in leadership position who cannot lead. Can be very frustrating for people use to common sense. Faculty can be arrogant, it's very much a place on who you know to move.

4.0

Aug 28, 2012

Depends on your department

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits Good educational opportunities (college courses, staff seminars, tuition reimbursement benefit) Beautiful campus

Cons

Poor management in some departments - Peter Principle in action Very little access to professional development outside of University (professional conferences, etc) Can be very compartmentalized Parking is awful on-campus and bus options are limited

4.0

Aug 25, 2012

Great Experience

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High quality undergraduate students, good learning and working environment

Cons

Location is not convenient, less job opportunities than big cities

Viewing 3607 - 3609 of 3,706 Reviews

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Jobs at Cornell University