Cornell vs. Northwestern: Which Campus Location Is Better for College Students?

Northwestern has the more advantageous location for most students because Evanston gives you a real college-town campus with easy, frequent access to Chicago. Cornell’s Ithaca setting is more scenic and self-contained, but it requires more intention to leave campus or reach a major city.

At Northwestern, Lake Michigan is directly beside campus, and Evanston’s restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, and grocery options are woven into the area around it. Students can use the CTA Purple Line and Metra from Evanston to reach Chicago for concerts, museums, internships, professional events, airports, and neighborhoods with distinct food and nightlife scenes. Chicago is close enough to be part of an ordinary weekend rather than a special trip.

Cornell sits on East Hill above Ithaca, with dramatic gorges, trails, waterfalls, and access to the Finger Lakes making outdoor recreation unusually convenient. Ithaca itself has the Commons, local restaurants, farmers’ market, arts events, and a strong independent-business feel, but it is a small city. TCAT buses connect Cornell with downtown and other parts of town, yet the campus’s hills and distance from larger metropolitan areas make daily life more centered on Cornell.

Transportation reflects the difference. Northwestern students can realistically avoid having a car and still move between Evanston and Chicago. Cornell students also do not need a car for campus and downtown, but trips to New York City, Boston, or other major destinations take substantially more planning, and Ithaca’s airport offers a limited set of routes.