Applied to through a college
Cornell says you apply directly to one of its colleges or schools. Cornell Admissions lists Information Science under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences and Cornell Bowers.
Undergraduate · Cornell CALS, A&S and Bowers
Cornell Information Science: technology in a social context, via three colleges
Cornell applicants apply directly to one of its colleges or schools, and Information Science is unusual: Cornell Admissions lists it under CALS, Arts and Sciences and Cornell Bowers. The department describes the design, use and impact of information systems and AI in a social context. The college you apply to therefore shapes the degree. This guide sets out what the pages say.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Cornell says about Cornell Information Science
Taken from the Cornell Bowers Department of Information Science's undergraduate majors page, Cornell Admissions' Majors, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Cornell's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Three colleges list it
Cornell Admissions lists it under CALS, A&S and Cornell Bowers.
A social-context approach
The department studies information and AI systems in society.
A flexible, interdisciplinary programme
Students have freedom to create a programme that suits them.
The SAT or ACT is required
Cornell has reinstituted standardized testing and requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Official sources
- Cornell Admissions: First-Year Applicantsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Admissions: Majorsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Bowers: Information Science undergraduate majorsinfosci.cornell.edu
- Cornell Admissions: Standardized Testing Policyadmissions.cornell.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Cornell Bowers Department of Information Science's undergraduate majors page, Cornell Admissions' Majors, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The major's curriculum pages, course descriptions, college admission requirements, deadlines and financial aid were not read, and the pages do not mention A-levels or the IB by name and are not stated.
The major
What the college and department pages say the major is
The department's majors page says students study the design, use and impact of information systems and artificial intelligence systems in a social context, and that an interdisciplinary approach gives freedom to create a unique, multidimensional programme blending technical skills with human-behaviour insights. The same page distinguishes this degree from Information Science, Systems, and Technology, which is offered through Cornell Engineering. This guide does not describe the college-specific requirements, which it did not read.
Is it the right major?
Information Science beside Information Science, Systems, and Technology and Computer Science
Cornell lists these as separate majors, and the colleges differ, so the choice starts at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
Information Science fits if
you want technology studied with people, society and AI at the centre.
Information Science, Systems, and Technology fits if
you want the engineering version. Avandy's Cornell ISST guide covers it.
An engineering major fits if
you prefer technical depth. Avandy's Cornell Engineering guide covers the model.
Admission and testing
A college application and the SAT or ACT
Cornell says you apply directly to one of its colleges or schools, so the college is part of the application; the pages read list Information Science under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences and Cornell Bowers. Cornell has reinstituted standardized testing and requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. The pages read do not mention A levels or the IB by name, and Cornell says all students must show a strong command of English. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cornell's.
Which college would you apply to for this major?
CALS, A&S and Bowers are all listed.
Do you want people and society as part of the technology?
The department frames the major that way.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Cornell requires one of them for first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Cornell's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Cornell's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Cornell has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Cornell for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the major page and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Cornell University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Cornell University. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Which Cornell college is Information Science in?
Cornell Admissions lists it under the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences and Cornell Bowers.
Which colleges offer Information Science?
Cornell Admissions lists CALS, A&S and Cornell Bowers.
Is there an engineering version?
Yes. Information Science, Systems, and Technology is offered through Cornell Engineering, according to the department.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Cornell says first-year applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Does Cornell name A levels or the IB on these pages?
No. The pages read do not mention them by name.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Cornell's wording with no entry-year label. Check Cornell's pages again when Cornell publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Cornell Information Science
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics and computing, how they weigh people-centred technology against engineering and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.