How should I compare the total cost of attending Cornell and UC San Diego?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that UC San Diego starts with a much lower in-state price for a California resident, while Cornell may become competitive only if its need-based grant package substantially closes that gap. Compare each school using its official cost of attendance and your actual aid offer, not tuition alone. Cornell is private and uses the FAFSA and CSS Profile for institutional aid; UC San Diego’s aid calculation is based primarily on the FAFSA or California Dream Act application.

For each offer, subtract only grants and scholarships from the full annual cost. Include tuition and mandatory fees, housing and food, books and supplies, health insurance if you will not waive it, personal expenses, and transportation. Cornell’s Ithaca location can mean more expensive or less convenient travel home from California, while UCSD may allow lower travel costs and, depending on your circumstances, the possibility of living with family later, though commuting should be weighed against campus involvement and time.

Separate loans and work-study from gift aid. A package with a larger stated total can still cost more if much of it consists of federal loans, parent borrowing, or work-study earnings you must earn during the year. Also check whether Cornell’s grant is expected to remain similar after the first year, and whether UCSD grants, Cal Grant eligibility, scholarships, and housing plans are renewable or subject to annual changes.

Make a four-year comparison rather than choosing from one-year totals. Use realistic annual increases, expected travel, and the likelihood of needing summer earnings or loans. Unless Cornell’s grant leaves your family’s out-of-pocket cost close to UCSD’s after all four years, UCSD is likely the more affordable option for a California resident; Cornell can justify the premium only when the net-cost difference is manageable without heavy borrowing.