Cornell Precollege Studies (Online) lets high school students take regular, credit-bearing Cornell University undergraduate courses online, studying alongside enrolled Cornell undergraduates and earning credits recorded on an official Cornell University transcript. Courses span dozens of subjects and are taught by Cornell instructors.
Sessions:
- Summer 2026 (historical): three-week sessions June 1–18, June 22–July 10 and July 13–31; six-week session June 22–July 31. Summer 2027 dates remain unannounced on the checked summer deadline page.
- Winter: 3-week session in January (Winter 2027 runs January 4 to 22, 2027; applications open October 15, 2026)
Format: Most courses use Canvas. Some are synchronous (live, scheduled); others are asynchronous (pre-recorded, self-paced). Plan on two to three hours of homework for every hour of class time. Courses cover 15 weeks of college material in a condensed period.
Fall 2026 through Summer 2027 tuition (online — tuition only; no residential or health fees):
| Session | Credits | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| 3-week | 3 credits | $6,039 |
| 3-week | 4 credits | $8,052 |
| 6-week | 6 credits | $12,078 |
| 6-week | 7 credits | $14,091 |
| 6-week | 8 credits | $16,104 |
Tuition rate: $2,013 per credit (set by the Cornell University Board of Trustees).
Not included: $85 application fee, course materials, and (Summer only) a $1,500 enrollment deposit applied toward the total. Winter sessions require no deposit, but full payment is due within 4 business days of course enrollment.
Subject areas (sample): Architecture and the arts, business and hotel management, health and humanities, international relations, science and technology, social change, veterinary medicine, and more.
Financial assistance: Limited scholarships are available through select community-based organization (CBO) partnerships focused on first-generation and/or low-income students. Students cannot apply directly to Cornell for financial aid — contact your CBO advisor to determine if their organization has a partnership with Cornell Precollege Studies.
Sanctions note: Students located in Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, and certain Ukrainian regions (Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk) require written approval from Cornell's Export Control and Compliance Officer prior to enrollment.
Also available:
- Residential Program (Ithaca, NY, on-campus): ages 16–18, 3- or 6-week sessions; see its own current fees
- Commuter Program (Ithaca, NY, local students only): ages 16–19
- Fall Semester (Local Students): Ithaca-area high school students only
Dates and fees checked November 4, 2026: Winter deadlines confirm the November 23, 2026 application form and December 1 materials deadlines for January 4–22, 2027 instruction. Course selection is due December 10 and final exams are January 22–23. The winter table says payment within four days of enrollment; the tuition page specifies four business days. The latter also explicitly labels the $2,013-per-credit rate Fall 2026 through Summer 2027. Application instructions confirm the $85 fee, and financial assistance describes summer CBO scholarships and the local application-fee waiver.
The historical Summer 2026 table gives January 12 application opening for all online sessions. Form/material deadlines were April 28/May 5 for session 1, May 14/May 19 for session 2 and the six-week session, and June 2/June 16 for session 3. Deposit/final-payment dates were May 12/May 19, June 2/June 9 and June 30/July 7 respectively. These are historical 2026 dates, not Summer 2027 deadlines.