Where will you live and eat while studying at Cornell? What will you do for fun? Where will you go for health and safety services? And how will you get around campus?
Review the pages in this section for information about
Housing
On-campus housing
Summer Session
Convenient on-campus housing is available for undergraduate and graduate/professional students participating in Summer Session.
Visit the Summer Housing page for
- Summer housing rates and regulations
- Housing applications
- Information about furnishings, linens, laundry, parking, and more
Winter Session & Fall/Spring Study
University residence halls are closed during Winter Session, and during fall and spring they are reserved for matriculated students. You should therefore plan to find your own off-campus housing.
Off-campus housing
For information about room and apartment availability in the communities surrounding the university, contact Cornell’s Off-Campus Living office.
Dining
Summer Session
To learn about the convenient summer meal plans offered by Cornell Dining, visit the summer dining website or contact Cornell Dining. Dining rates are generally updated in the spring.
Winter Session
For a list of on-campus dining facilities open during Winter Session, call (607) 255-5368 or visit the dining website.
Fall/Spring Study
If you’d like to dine on campus, you may pay by cash or credit card or purchase a prepaid meal plan. For information, contact Cornell Dining.
City Bucks plan
Cornell Dining’s City Bucks program allows you to use your Cornell ID card to purchase meals off campus at participating restaurants and supermarkets.
To learn more and activate your account, visit the City Bucks page.
Health Services
Cornell Health Services
Cornell Health, centrally located at 110 Ho Plaza next to Willard Straight Hall, provides medical care, counseling, pharmacy, and support services for students in Ithaca.
Cornell Health is open
- Monday through Friday during the Summer and Winter sessions
- Monday through Saturday during the Fall and Spring semesters
- See all hours
See who Cornell Health serves.
Appointments are required for most services. Students with urgent concerns should call Cornell Health at (607) 255-5155 to inquire about a same-day appointment.
If you have an urgent medical or mental health concern when Cornell Health is closed, you can call 24/7 to consult with a health care provider: (607) 255-5155.
Confidentiality: All medical and mental health services at Cornell Health are confidential, and health care records are completely separate from all other university records. Cornell Health uses an electronic health records system, which provides a patient portal to facilitate secure communication with students.
Student Health Fee
- All students in on-campus Summer courses, and
- Students taking 12 or more credits in on-campus Fall, Winter, or Spring courses
are required to pay the university’s Student Health Fee. Exception: Cornell employees do not pay the health fee.
These students have a $10 copay for most Cornell Health visits (some visits have no charge).
Learn more about the cost for care at Cornell Health.
Other students may still use Cornell Health’s services and should refer to their insurance and billing page to learn about accepted insurance plans and payment options.
Note: The “Student Health Fee” is separate from the “Student Health Plan (SHP)” insurance premium costs/fees (see below).
New, Visiting & International Student Health Requirements
- New and visiting students taking six or more credits on-campus Summer courses,
- New and visiting students taking 12 or more credits on-campus Fall or Spring courses, and
- All international students (with few exceptions) in on-campus classes, no matter the time of year or how many credits they take
will be enrolled in Cornell’s Student Health Plan (SHP) to comply with state and federal laws, as well as with university policy.
These students must also provide documentation showing that they’ve met the university’s immunization requirements, and submit forms related to health history, emergency contact information, and privacy and consent.
Find instructions and forms on the Cornell Health site.
You are expected to meet these health requirements before your program begins. If you are not able to do so, you must meet your requirements as soon as you arrive at Cornell to avoid a late fee and possible disenrollment from your program.
Exception: U.S. students taking fewer than six credits in on-campus Summer courses or 12 credits in on-campus Fall or Spring courses are not required to enroll in Cornell’s Student Health Plan or submit health documents.
Optional health plan for U.S. students
U.S. students may choose to enroll in Cornell’s Student Health Plan (SHP) if they do not have adequate health insurance during their terms on campus. Learn more about health insurance requirements.
Safety
In an emergency, call 911 on any phone on the Cornell campus.
Cornell University Police Department (CUPD)
Cornell University Police operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, from G-2 Barton Hall.
To report an emergency
- Call 911 on any phone on the Cornell campus.
- You can also use a Blue Light or other campus emergency phone.
If reporting a non-emergency
- Do not call 911
- Call 607.255.1111
Blue Light telephones
Blue Light telephones are located throughout campus and provide direct communication with the Cornell Police. If you need assistance, or in an emergency, pick up the receiver or push the button. Officers will know your location automatically and respond quickly.
RAVE Guardian app
The RAVE Guardian app, available on Apple or Google Play stores, is free to the campus community. It can enhance a user’s personal safety both on and off campus by turning any smartphone into a personal safety device. In an emergency, a one-button call from your phone will display your profile and current location to campus safety officials.
Review the University’s Annual Security Report.
Emergency mass notification system
Cornell University is committed to protecting the health and safety of its students, faculty, and staff. Emergency procedures are in place that allow Cornell Police to quickly notify authorities and the campus population when an emergency situation is underway and then provide instructions on how to respond.
To ensure you receive critical information, you must enroll in the university’s Emergency Mass Notification System.
For more information, visit Emergency Mass Notifications.
Gorge safety
The two gorges that run through the Cornell campus help to make Cornell one of the world’s most beautiful campuses. They are wonderful for recreation and hiking—but they can also be very dangerous. The gorges are eroding constantly, and rocks continue to fall from the cliffs, especially after heavy rains.
Please visit the Gorge Safety website to find out about trails, regulations, and current conditions.
While tempting on hot days, swimming in the gorges is extremely dangerous, and a serious threat of drowning exists. Swimming in the gorges is prohibited by Chapter 250 of the City of Ithaca code, Peace and Good Order, which states, “No person shall bathe in, swim in, or for purposes of swimming and/or bathing enter any of the waters within the City of Ithaca except in the waters officially designated as swimming or bathing areas.”
Alternatives for safe and legal swimming in the Ithaca area can be found on the Safe Swimming Options page.
Activities
Cornell’s main campus is in Ithaca, New York, one of the best college towns in the country.
Located at the south end of Cayuga Lake in the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes region, Ithaca offers a breathtaking landscape of deep gorges and thundering waterfalls, rolling hills with farms and forests, and a lively community with shops, art galleries, and great places to eat (including the world-famous Moosewood Restaurant).
For information about things to do in the area—music, dance, cinema, sports, hiking, swimming, shopping, and more—see visitithaca.com or Cornell’s Visiting Ithaca pages.
Also be sure to check out Cornell’s events calendar, a great place to find information about the many concerts, lectures, exhibits, and other interesting events taking place on and around the Cornell campus.
What can I do for fun on campus?
Here are some of the activities students recommend:
- Go sunset watching and star gazing from Libe Slope or the North Campus Fuertes Observatory, operated by Cornell’s renowned Department of Astronomy.
- Visit the famous art, birds, brains, and other collections at Cornell, which include the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, the world-class Lab of Ornithology, and the fabled Brain Collection at Uris Hall.
- Picnic or walk through the Cornell Botanic Gardens, 4,000 magnificent acres of rose gardens, lovely woodland trails, waterfalls, gorges, and ponds.
- Climb to the top of the McGraw clock tower and see the chimes firsthand.
- Take advantage of the outdoor education opportunities, including basketball, tennis, swimming, golf, rock climbing, canoeing, and more, and visit Recreational Services for information about spinning, yoga, and other wellness activities.
- Relax at Cornell Cinema, one of the best campus film programs in the country.
- In the winter, root for the Big Red men’s and women’s hockey teams on the ice at Lynah Rink.
Where can I swim?
There are a number of options for safe and legal swimming in the Ithaca area. Please note that swimming in the gorges is prohibited. See Gorge Safety for more information.
Where can I work out?
With three summer locations around campus, Cornell Fitness Centers provide an extensive variety of cardio and weight equipment and group exercise classes.
Getting to Cornell
Cornell’s main campus is located in Ithaca, New York, approximately 200 miles northwest of New York City.
Learn more about visiting Cornell and Ithaca.
By air
For information about area airports, please see “Visitors Arriving by Plane” section on Cornell’s main “Plan your visit” page.
By bus
The bus terminal, on Green Street in downtown Ithaca, is served by Coach USA Shortline, FlixBus, Greyhound, and OurBus. Coach USA Shortline will pick up and drop off on campus and the downtown terminal.
If you live in the New York City area or plan to fly into New York City from abroad, check out Cornell’s Campus-to-Campus (C2C) express bus service.
Taxis, car services, and local TCAT buses are available to bring you up to campus from the downtown terminal.
By car
For driving directions to the Ithaca campus, see the university’s Maps page.
Getting around campus
Explore the campus
Cornell’s campus is beautiful—and large—so you may wish to familiarize yourself with the bus system and/or bring a bike to get to classes and meals more quickly.
Bus
Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) provides bus service to all parts of the Cornell campus.
A variety of (nonrefundable) bus passes are available and can be purchased at The Cornell Store or Transportation Services.
Bicycle
Cornell’s system of bike lanes lets you travel quickly between your dorm, dining room, and classes.
If you bring a bike, you’re required to register it when you get to campus (NetID required).
Bikes can be parked at any bicycle rack or in an approved bicycle storage area in a residence hall with permission from your head resident. We encourage you to bring a strong lock.
Cars & parking
Because parking on campus is extremely limited, we encourage you to consider transportation alternatives before deciding to bring a car to campus.
To park in an on-campus parking area, you must purchase a valid parking permit from Transportation Services, 116 Maple Avenue, phone: (607) 255-7275.
Metered lots and spaces are open to everyone; fees vary.
SCE students are subject to all regulations governing the use of motor vehicles at Cornell.
For more information, contact Transportation Services.
Additional support services
Note that some services may be limited during the Summer/Winter terms.