How Do Undergraduate Class Sizes Compare at Cornell and the University of Chicago?

The University of Chicago will usually feel smaller in the classroom, particularly during the first two years. Its smaller undergraduate population and discussion-centered Core Curriculum mean that even when an introductory course includes a lecture, students commonly have a separate, relatively small discussion section. Cornell offers many excellent small courses, but its much larger undergraduate enrollment makes large introductory lectures more common, especially in high-demand STEM, economics, and business-related subjects.

At Cornell, the experience depends substantially on the undergraduate college and major. Introductory biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, calculus, and economics courses can enroll hundreds of students, with smaller labs, recitations, or discussion sections attached. Fields with more specialized cohorts, such as some programs in agriculture and life sciences, architecture, or the humanities, may feel more intimate earlier on.

Chicago’s Core is a meaningful day-to-day differentiator: many humanities and social-science Core classes are built around close reading and active discussion rather than a large lecture alone. Introductory sequences in economics, mathematics, biology, and computer science can still be sizable, but the overall structure gives most students regular access to smaller classroom settings.

By the upper-division level, the gap narrows. Both universities offer seminars, advanced electives, labs, and research courses with limited enrollment, often allowing direct faculty interaction. Cornell may provide a wider total menu of specialized courses because of its scale and professional schools, while Chicago is more likely to create a consistently small, seminar-oriented feel across a student’s full undergraduate schedule.