Master of Science [MS] (Information Systems)
Field of Study:
$71,226 /Yr
Cornell University M.S. Information Systems is a two-year, full-time master’s programme at Cornell Tech in New York City for bachelor’s graduates. For August 2027, tuition is unpublished; 2026-27 first-year tuition was US$73,946 (INR 69.50 Lakhs), as a prior-cycle reference.
The Jacobs Institute combines technical study, human-centred design and product development, awarding a Cornell degree alongside Technion’s Master of Science in Applied Information Science. Its Connective Media, Health Tech and Urban Tech concentrations suit applicants who want to build software around human or industry problems through sustained projects.
- The two-semester specialization project offers a choice between an anchor-course project route and faculty-directed independent study.
- Studio courses bring students into project teams with engineering, business and law students at Cornell Tech.
- The admissions process does not require work experience and does not accept the Graduate Record Examination, so documented technical contributions matter.
Current Admission Status
Applications for the August 2027 intake are Open. International student deadline: 02 February 2027, the recommended international round; the conditional rolling deadline is 01 April 2027.
Indian applicants seeking full scholarship consideration should complete the priority round by 05 January 2027 at 5:00 PM EST, or 06 January at 3:30 AM IST. Credential evaluation and recommendation letters must reach the application before the selected round closes.
Also Check: Cornell University M.S. Information Systems Admission
Cornell M.S. Information Systems Fees and Living Costs 2027
August 2027 tuition is unpublished on the checked Cornell Tech fee and application pages. Verify the target fee on the official fee page before accepting an offer or finalising a loan.
Prior-cycle reference: the following first-year charges belong to 2026-27 and apply to the Jacobs dual master’s programme. They are annual charges, rather than a published price for both years of the degree.
| First-year charge | Amount in US$ | INR equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | US$73,946 | INR 69.50 Lakhs |
| Health insurance | US$3,751 to US$4,092 | INR 3.53 Lakhs to INR 3.85 Lakhs |
| New York City health fee | US$366 | INR 34,399 |
| Student activity fee | US$110 | INR 10,339 |
| Calculated total of listed charges | US$78,173 to US$78,514 | INR 73.47 Lakhs to INR 73.79 Lakhs |
All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 93.98702604 as of 06 November 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.
Source: Cornell Tech, 2026-2027 Tuition and Fees; total calculated from the four published components.
The 2027 application fee is US$95 (INR 8,929), as stated on the programme’s application page. This course-specific charge should be used instead of Cornell’s general graduate application fee when preparing payment.
- The published tuition covers one academic year, so applicants must obtain the second-year rate before treating an admission offer as fully financed.
- International students must have Cornell’s Student Health Plan, so the published insurance charge belongs in the funding estimate.
- Request the programme’s deposit, payment schedule and scholarship allocation across both years with the offer because the checked public pages do not specify them.
Cost of Living in New York City for Information Systems Students
Cornell Tech publishes a combined annual living estimate that includes dining and additional expenses. Its 2026-27 estimate is campus-specific; the Ithaca estimate is unsuitable for this New York City programme.
Prior-cycle planning reference: monthly spending below is calculated by dividing Cornell Tech’s 2026-27 annual estimate by 12. The university does not provide a component breakdown on this page.
| Expense | Monthly (US$) | Monthly (INR equivalent) |
|---|---|---|
| Combined living costs, calculated monthly total | US$3,395.50 | INR 3.19 Lakhs |
| Annual total, 12 months | US$40,746 | INR 38.30 Lakhs |
A prior-cycle planning illustration combines 2026-27 tuition, insurance, health and activity fees with annual living costs. The calculated first-year total is US$118,919 to US$119,260 (INR 1.12 Crore to INR 1.12 Crore).
Repeating that 2026-27 bundle twice gives a prior-cycle planning illustration of US$237,838 to US$238,520 (INR 2.24 Crore to INR 2.24 Crore). This assumes unchanged rates for 24 months, excludes application, travel and visa expenses and is not a published 2027-entry total.
For an Indian borrower, the second-year price is the material uncertainty because the programme spans two fee cycles. Obtain a year-by-year estimate and retain a separate allowance for flights and credential evaluation rather than hiding those charges inside the living estimate.
Read More: Cost of Studying in the USA
Tip for Indian students: Cornell Tech labels its published Jacobs charges as first-year costs only, so request the second-year bill before fixing the size of your education loan.
Cornell M.S. Information Systems Admission 2027
The programme admits students for Fall only, with August 2027 entry available through Cornell Tech’s Jacobs dual-degree application. Cornell Tech does not publish an admission rate or minimum grade point average, so neither can establish an applicant’s selection probability.
A bachelor’s degree and evidence of technical readiness form the starting point for this applied programme. Indian academic records require a course-by-course credential evaluation before the admissions committee reviews the application.
| Admission element | Published requirement or policy |
|---|---|
| Academic records | Transcripts from every previously attended university and proof of bachelor’s graduation if absent from the transcript |
| Indian credential evaluation | Course-by-course evaluation from an accepted evaluator, received before admission review |
| Graduate Record Examination | Not required and not accepted for the Jacobs dual master’s programme |
| Work experience | No compulsory work-experience requirement for dual master’s applicants |
| Recommendations | Two letters, preferably one academic and one professional; an additional third letter is permitted if useful |
| Transfer credit | Not accepted from other programmes |
Credential evaluation is a review dependency, rather than a formality that can wait until enrolment. Cornell Tech accepts World Education Services among its evaluators, alongside Educational Credential Evaluators, Scholaro and other listed providers.
Indian applicants should check the evaluator’s document rules before ordering because evaluation does not itself guarantee degree equivalency. Cornell Tech makes the admission decision, and the programme does not publish an India-specific percentage cutoff or admission grade conversion.
The absence of a test requirement places greater emphasis on technical coursework and project evidence. Use transcripts, a concise résumé and specific examples of your contribution to explain preparation for algorithms, machine learning and collaborative software development.
English Language Requirements
The programme-specific English policy differs from Cornell’s general graduate-school component thresholds. Use the Cornell Tech requirements below unless the programme confirms an exemption for your education or language background.
| Route | Current Cornell Tech policy |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic, International English Language Testing System | Minimum overall band 7.0; One Skill Retake is not accepted |
| TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language | Minimum 100 on the published 0 to 120 scale; revised-test applicants must include a report showing both scales |
| Qualifying Indian English-medium degree | International equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, English instruction and physical presence in the exempt country for most enrolment |
For revised TOEFL results, Cornell Tech instructs applicants: “please include a copy of your Test Taker Score Report as this includes your score on both scales”. The programme still publishes the 100-point requirement; do not independently convert it into a revised-scale cutoff.
The live instruction refers to tests beginning January 2026 and therefore addresses tests after 21 January 2026. Check the Cornell Tech English-test instructions when uploading results because its report requirement is more specific than the general graduate-school policy.
- For an Indian degree exemption, ensure English instruction appears on your transcript or is readily verifiable on your institution’s website.
- Applicants without an exemption should use IELTS Academic or TOEFL because Cornell Tech’s published application does not list Pearson’s English test as an accepted route.
- Allow time for a complete test sitting because Cornell Tech rejects combined TOEFL MyBest scores and IELTS One Skill Retake results.
Choosing the Concentration
The shared technical core combines algorithms, machine learning, human-computer interaction and technology ethics. Concentration choice determines the domain in which you apply those tools, so your statement should connect existing experience with a specific problem.
- Connective Media combines software building with psychological and social aspects of technology, making human behaviour central to the project proposition.
- Health Tech focuses on digital tools for patients, clinicians and communities, so a credible healthcare problem strengthens the explanation of fit.
- Urban Tech applies computing to mobility, sustainability and urban systems, giving applicants a framework for connecting technical work with city-scale constraints.
The two-semester specialization project creates room for a prototype or faculty-directed investigation alongside Studio teamwork. That structure suits applicants seeking repeated development and feedback, but requires engagement beyond individual technical coursework.
Honest take: Cornell Tech does not accept the Graduate Record Examination, so strengthen your project account and evaluator documentation instead of preparing an unnecessary admission test.
Cornell M.S. Information Systems Application 2027
05 January 2027 is the priority application deadline for applicants seeking full scholarship consideration. Indian applicants who need visa processing time should use that round or the recommended international round on 02 February, rather than relying on rolling availability.
August 2027 entry: all three published rounds below serve the same Fall intake. Eastern Standard Time, abbreviated EST, is the university’s stated cutoff basis; Indian Standard Time, abbreviated IST, is shown alongside it.
| Application stage | Published university cutoff | Equivalent in India | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority | 05 January 2027, 5:00 PM EST | 06 January 2027, 3:30 AM IST | Full scholarship consideration |
| Round 2 | 02 February 2027, 5:00 PM EST | 03 February 2027, 3:30 AM IST | Recommended latest round for international applicants |
| Rolling | 01 April 2027, 5:00 PM EST, as published | 02 April 2027, 3:30 AM IST using literal EST | Case-by-case review until the class is full |
The April timezone needs verification because the source writes EST although New York observes Eastern Daylight Time in April. If the portal uses New York daylight time, the cutoff becomes 02 April at 2:30 AM IST; submit earlier and follow the portal.
The programme states that a status update can take six to eight weeks after submission once required materials are complete. Its general frequently asked questions also describes an eight-week window after the round deadline, so neither wording establishes a fixed individual decision date.
Incomplete materials move an application into the next round, including late recommendation letters. Complete the evaluator process and check referee submission status before the deadline rather than treating your own application submission as sufficient.
What to Prepare
The Jacobs application requires a two-page résumé, a personal statement of up to 750 words and a three-minute video essay. Use the Fall 2027 Jacobs application instructions to select the appropriate statement prompt and enter the correct application system.
- Choose a project or leadership example that explains your individual technical decisions and connects them with your intended concentration.
- Ask two referees who can discuss relevant coursework or substantial project work, preferably combining academic and professional perspectives.
- Order the required credential evaluation before your chosen round because the committee needs it before reviewing an Indian academic record.
- Prepare the video essay around your goals and experience because Cornell Tech does not provide its questions in advance.
Generative artificial intelligence use must be disclosed and cited when it assists the statement, according to Cornell Tech’s application instructions. Keep the account of your projects truthful and specific because undisclosed use can justify denial or cancellation of admission.
The application asks how you can contribute to cross-disciplinary product work, rather than requesting a generic explanation of university reputation. A useful project account connects the user problem, your implementation choices and the evidence that the resulting application addressed that problem.
Priority-round strategy
The January round aligns scholarship consideration with more time for the international admission process. Submit a complete file before the published cutoff instead of sacrificing evaluation or referee completeness merely to press submit earlier.
Application tip: Target the January priority round with the evaluation and both letters complete, because late materials can shift review beyond the scholarship-preferred stage.
Cornell M.S. Information Systems Scholarships 2027
Cornell Tech merit scholarship aid is the published institutional funding route for eligible full-time Jacobs master’s students, including international applicants. For August 2027, the university recommends the 05 January 2027 priority deadline for full scholarship consideration.
All admitted students who are not fully sponsored are considered without a separate scholarship application. Indicate your interest in the application’s funding section, because the university assesses aid through a holistic review of the admission credentials.
The award amount is not published as a fixed sum or percentage, so it cannot support a pre-admission net tuition calculation. The checked Cornell Tech pages describe this merit route without listing three separate named awards open to a general Indian applicant.
- Scholarships apply to tuition only, so retain the entire housing and living allowance even if an offer includes an award.
- Cornell Tech states that full-tuition master’s funding is unavailable, so do not treat scholarship consideration as a route to a fully funded degree.
- Request written confirmation of the award’s allocation across both years before deducting it from the two-year financing requirement.
Need-based institutional aid is unavailable, and the university says master’s students are ineligible for research assistantships that cover tuition, insurance and a stipend. A specialization project or independent study therefore should not be described as an assistantship funding package.
Limited hourly research opportunities may exist, but hourly work is distinct from guaranteed degree funding. Cornell Tech generally discourages full-time students from working during the academic year, so exclude hypothetical campus wages from the amount needed to accept an offer.
For an Indian applicant, the useful funding comparison is confirmed tuition reduction versus remaining cash requirements. Ask whether the scholarship covers each academic year and compare the uncovered bill with sanctioned funds before committing to the programme.
Also Check: Cornell University Scholarships for International Students
Scholarship reality: Cornell Tech merit aid cannot pay housing costs, so finance New York City living expenses separately even when the admission offer includes tuition support.
Cornell M.S. Information Systems Salary 2027
Class of 2025 employment outcomes are available by concentration, while the published salary median pools Cornell Tech’s technical programmes. These scopes must remain separate: a pooled salary cannot establish the starting pay of an individual Information Systems concentration.
Course-cohort evidence, Class of 2025: the employment measure is taken nine months after graduation and relates to graduates seeking full-time employment. Cohort size below includes all graduates in that concentration, rather than only job seekers.
| Information Systems concentration | Total cohort | Employment after nine months | Job seekers | Founders | Other paths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connective Media | 53 | 88% | 79% | 6% | 15% |
| Health Tech | 18 | 100% | 77% | 17% | 6% |
| Urban Tech | 26 | 82% | 65% | No separate share shown | 35% |
Source: Cornell Tech Career Outcomes, Class of 2025; employment and career-path categories have different denominators.
Health Tech’s 100% employment figure comes from a cohort of 18, so it is narrower evidence than a large multi-year placement record. Concentration should follow your intended domain and project preparation, rather than a percentage from one graduating class.
The university’s other-paths category includes returning to a previous employer, further education, fellowships and some international graduates returning home. It cannot be read as an unemployment percentage, and rounding can prevent the career-path shares from adding exactly to 100%.
Salary, Employers and Summer Internships
School-level technical-programme evidence: Cornell Tech reports a 2025 median salary of US$140,000 (INR 1.32 Crore). It does not publish a separate concentration-level salary or offer rate on the checked outcomes page.
Across 278 technical graduates, 72% pursued jobs, 8% became founders and 20% followed other paths. Among those seeking full-time employment, the published nine-month employment rate was 89%; these pooled figures include programmes beyond Information Systems.
The pooled 2025 geography distribution was 45% New York City, 49% elsewhere in the United States and 5% international. That distribution includes founders and graduates accepting full-time jobs, so it is not a map of job availability for every concentration.
Technical graduates accepted roles including software developer, data scientist, data analyst and data engineer. Reported 2025 employers included Google, Amazon, Palantir, Bloomberg and Microsoft, but the page does not assign every employer to an Information Systems concentration.
Jacobs-specific internship evidence lists 2025 employers including Amazon, Google, Intuit, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Meta. The university describes most internships as data-science or software-development work, making the summer between the two academic years relevant to portfolio development.
Inspect the official Cornell Tech career outcomes for the relevant concentration and cohort before interpreting salary claims. Take-home pay depends on taxes and compensation structure; run an actual offer through a U.S. federal and state tax calculator before setting repayments.
Return on Investment for Indian Applicants
The prior-cycle planning illustration totals US$237,838 to US$238,520 (INR 2.24 Crore to INR 2.24 Crore) over two years using repeated 2026-27 prices. Return on investment depends on the final award, actual bills and the location of the eventual job, rather than the pooled salary alone.
- The 2026-27 tuition-only two-year illustration is US$147,892 (INR 1.39 Crore), so obtain the 2027-entry charges before choosing a borrowing amount.
- The 2025 employment measures are recorded nine months after graduation, so retain job-search cash beyond the final tuition payment instead of assuming immediate earnings.
- Cornell Tech scholarships cover tuition rather than living expenses, so deduct only the written award and retain New York City maintenance funds.
- The programme supports a conditional 36-month practical-training route, so assess sponsorship before using long-term United States earnings for loan repayments.
- The published salary pools U.S.-oriented technical outcomes, so obtain an India-based salary estimate for your intended role before assessing an immediate return-home financing case.
The two-year project and internship structure offers more than a salary credential: it creates time to develop a domain-specific portfolio. However, a debt-funded founder must cover living expenses before a venture produces income, while an India-return borrower cannot substitute the pooled U.S. median for local earnings.
Read More: Optional Practical Training Work Authorisation in the USA
ROI reality: The 2025 report separates concentration employment from pooled technical salaries, so use the former for evidence scope and an actual offer for repayment planning.
USA Visa for Cornell M.S. Information Systems Students 2027
Cornell Tech’s Information Systems students use F-1 student status for the residential New York City degree. The student visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,388), while the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System fee is US$350 (INR 32,895). These charges are separate from the university’s tuition, insurance and living estimate.
- Optional Practical Training provides 12 months of work authorisation, with a conditional 24-month extension for eligible graduates, employers and jobs under the programme’s technical designation.
- H-1B employer sponsorship requires the applicable actual or prevailing wage, whichever is higher, so there is no single Information Systems graduate salary threshold.
- Permanent residence has no fixed degree-linked timeline, so the two-year Cornell programme should not be financed on an assumed settlement date.
- An F-2 spouse or unmarried minor child may accompany the student, but dependants cannot work, so accompanying-family finances need a separate allowance.
Check Out: USA Student Visa Application Requirements
Visa reality: Cornell Tech identifies the programme as eligible for the technical-degree work extension, but employment beyond practical training requires a separate status strategy with an employer.
Cornell M.S. Information Systems Ranking 2027
Cornell ranks 17th globally in Computer Science and Information Systems in the 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds subject ranking. This is discipline-wide evidence covering Cornell University, rather than a separate ranking of the Jacobs dual master’s programme or its concentrations.
For August 2027 applicants, the ranking provides academic subject context but does not resolve the choice between Connective Media, Health Tech and Urban Tech. Compare the concentration curriculum and its separately reported 2025 employment evidence because those measures relate more directly to your proposed portfolio.
The subject result does not distinguish the New York City learning model from Cornell’s wider computer-science activity. Use the two-semester specialization project and Studio requirements to judge the educational proposition instead of interpreting subject rank as a placement probability.
Also Check: Cornell University Subject Rankings
Honest take: Cornell’s subject position supports disciplinary context, but the Jacobs concentration and project structure provide the more specific basis for choosing this degree.
Cornell’s M.S. Information Systems fits technically prepared applicants who want to build products around human behaviour, healthcare or urban systems. Its dual-degree structure connects technical learning with a sustained specialization project and cross-disciplinary Studio work. The material tradeoff is financing two years in New York City when scholarships cover tuition only and 2027-entry charges remain unpublished. Complete the credential evaluation and supporting materials for the 05 January 2027 priority round, then assess the written award against both years of expenditure.
Cornell M.S. Information Systems FAQs
Ques. How does Cornell’s M.S. Information Systems differ from a conventional computer-science master’s?
Ans. The Jacobs degree combines technical work with a domain concentration and a two-semester specialization project, alongside multidisciplinary Studio courses. That structure suits applicants who want to connect software development with users or industry problems. Examine the concentration’s human, healthcare or urban content before choosing it primarily for technical electives.
Ques. Is Cornell’s M.S. Information Systems financially sensible for an Indian applicant using a loan?
Ans. A loan decision needs the 2027-entry fee schedule and written scholarship offer, because the available two-year cost illustration repeats older first-year prices. The published salary pools technical programmes, whereas employment percentages differ by concentration. Test borrowing against an actual target role and a funded job-search period, including an India-return case if U.S. sponsorship is unavailable.
Ques. Should an international Information Systems applicant choose the priority round or wait until April?
Ans. Choose the January priority round when your evaluation and recommendations can be completed, because it preserves full scholarship consideration. February is Cornell Tech’s recommended latest international round for visa-processing time. April adds conditional seat availability and a published timezone ambiguity, so it provides less certainty for an applicant needing funding and overseas relocation.
Ques. Can a Cornell Information Systems scholarship or research role cover the entire degree?
Ans. The published funding model does not support that assumption: merit scholarships are tuition-only and full-tuition master’s awards are unavailable. The university also excludes master’s students from research assistantships covering tuition, insurance and a stipend. Request the scholarship’s year-by-year allocation and retain living funds before accepting a financing gap that depends on campus employment.
Ques. Does Health Tech’s published employment rate make it the safest Cornell Information Systems concentration?
Ans. Its 2025 result belongs to a small cohort and measures employment nine months after graduation, rather than an admission or immediate-placement guarantee. The other concentrations serve different project domains and career paths. Choose the field in which you can build a credible portfolio, then use the matching employment evidence rather than treating one year’s percentage as risk insurance.
Important Alert
- Priority Application Dedaline for Round 1 2027 Intake - Jan 5, 2027
Tuition Fees
| Year | 1st Year Fees |
|---|---|
| Tuition Fees | $71226 |
Other Expenses
| Head | Avg Cost Per Year |
|---|---|
| Housing | $16796 |
| Food | $5654 |
Previous Year Tuition Fees
| Year | 1st Year Fees |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $71266 |
| 2024 | $71266 |
Important Dates
| Event | Application Date |
|---|---|
| Priority Application Dedaline for Round 1 2027 Intake | Jan 5, 2027 |
| Round 2 Application Deadline For 2027 Intake | Feb 2, 2027 |
Required Document List
Complete Application
Application Fee
Official Transcripts
English Language Requirements
Documentation of Financial Support
Three Recommendation Letter


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TOP Scholarships
| Scholarship name | Award amount | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Funding | Varies | To receive graduate funding, including assistantships, fellowships, stipends, and travel grants, a student must be enrolled for the semester in which they will receive the funds. |
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| Name | Scholarship Per Student | Level of Study | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axol Science Scholarship | Scholarship per student$ 2,000/Yr$2,000 | Level Of StudyBachelor | TypeCompany-Sponsored | |
| Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program | Scholarship per student$ 10,000/Yr$10,000 | Level Of StudyBachelor | TypeMerit-Based | |
| R&D Systems Scholarship | Scholarship per student$ 1,500/Yr$1,500 | Level Of StudyBachelor | TypeMerit-Based | |
| VueVille Future Technology Scholarship | Scholarship per student$ 1,000/Yr$1,000 | Level Of StudyBachelor | TypeMerit-Based | |
| QS Connect Master’s Scholarship | Scholarship per student$ 5,000/Yr$5,000 | Level Of StudyMaster | TypeMerit-Based | |
| Business Administration Scholarships | Scholarship per studentVariable Amount | Level Of StudyBachelor | TypeMerit-Based |
















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