Cornell University is a private land-grant research university that was founded in 1865 in the suburban college town of Ithaca, New York by Andrew Dickson White and Ezra Cornell. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of about 15,000 students who attend classes on a campus that covers over 4,000 acres. Cornell is on a semester-based academic calendar with tuition and fees for both in-state students and out-of-state students that exceeds $55,000, though financial aid is available. 

Cornell University is made up of seven colleges and seven graduate divisions, including competitive hospitality and business programs. The school is known for its robust international network that is fostered in part by two satellite campuses in New York City and Education City, Qatar. 

Cornell University is part of the Ivy League and has affiliations with some of the top academic scholars of the last century. In addition to its strong scholastic traditions, the school is known for its Botanic Gardens and a large portfolio of university-owned and operated land in New York City. Notable alumni include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, television star Bill Nye, and Christopher Reeve, who was known for being the first actor to play Superman.