Statisticsat Cornell University
Graduates earn $82,531/yr in their first year — about 31.0% above the national Statistics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $784K; scenarios range from $644K to $814K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Cornell University
Your strong outcomes reflect Cornell's elite reputation, attracting top talent and providing rigorous training that is highly valued across industries. Employers from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and leading research institutions actively recruit Cornell Statistics graduates, recognizing your deep analytical skills and problem-solving capabilities. You'll find yourself well-prepared for demanding roles in quantitative finance, advanced data science, and actuarial analysis, often joining established pipelines into these competitive fields.
While the data highlights a significant AI risk, understand this as a transformation, not an elimination, for skilled statisticians. Your core expertise in algorithms, modeling, and data interpretation positions you to *build*, *manage*, and *ethically deploy* AI systems, rather than be replaced by them. To thrive, focus on advanced machine learning, causal inference, and interdisciplinary applications, ensuring you develop the communication skills to translate complex data insights into strategic business decisions.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Cornell University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Statistics
How Cornell University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Cornell University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Cornell University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Statistics offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Statistics trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Statistics at Cornell University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Statistics at Cornell University?
A score of 48/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Statistics. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Statistics careers?
With 64% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $644,494 in decade earnings vs $813,941 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Is Cornell University a hidden gem for Statistics?
After financial aid, the average student pays $129,348 over four years — 51% below the $264,056 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.