Is Cornell's MPS in Information Science a Cash Cow? (2026)
~$73,946 a year, two semesters, STEM-OPT, full-pay—but in-house, selective, and it publishes outcomes. We score Cornell's Info Science MPS: 59/100.
Is Cornell's MPS in Information Science a Cash Cow? The Data (2026)
Cornell's Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science runs a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Information Science on its Ithaca campus — a roughly two-semester, coursework-plus-project professional master's that, for 2026-27, carries a sticker tuition of $73,946. It is an Ivy-League credential, it is STEM-designated, and it is full-pay. That combination is exactly the profile our Cash-Cow Index exists to score — so we ran it through the eight tests.
(This is the Ithaca Information Science MPS, not Cornell Tech's MEng in Computer Science in New York City, which we scored separately. Two different programs, two different colleges.)
"Cash cow" is an evaluative label for a revenue-oriented structure, drawn from disclosed public facts — not a claim of fraud, deception, or low quality. Cornell is a genuinely elite university and this degree carries real labor-market value. Every figure below is sourced and dated.
The data
| Test (max) | Finding | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| International (22) | No program-level international % is published. Cornell-wide, graduate enrollment is ~50% international (≈5,300 of ≈10,700; nonresident share, IPEDS-derived). Treat as an institution-level estimate, not a program figure. | Cornell IRP factbook ; IPEDS-derived | Med (school-level only) |
| Full-pay (18) | $73,946/yr (2026-27 Bursar, Tier 1 "M.P.S. — Information Sciences"; flat in/out-of-state). Program states "Scholarships for MPS students are limited"; largely self-funded. Only competitive awards (e.g., a Bowers fellowship; a one-time $5,000 scholarship) and "a small number" of ~$8,400/sem GTRS positions. | bursar.cornell.edu ; infosci.cornell.edu (scholarship) | High |
| Open-door (12) | GRE: "We do not require nor accept the GRE." Accepts "students from all undergraduate programs" (a technical background is recommended, not required). But: two letters, a 1,000-word statement of purpose, a 1,000-word personal statement, and a video interview; a fixed Jan 5 deadline; selective Ivy admissions; no published acceptance rate. | infosci.cornell.edu (admissions-faqs) | High |
| One-year (10) | 30 credits on the 2-semester track (or 39 on a 3-semester track); coursework-based, non-thesis, with a 3-credit team MPS Project (INFO 5900) for an external client. ~One academic year. | infosci.cornell.edu (requirements) ; courses.cornell.edu | High |
| Middleman (12) | No OPM. Delivered in-house by the department; courses are faculty-taught and the capstone is a real client project. No 2U/edX/Emeritus partner; no disclosed commission-agent program. | infosci.cornell.edu/masters/mps | High |
| Factory (10) | An established department program, not a separate self-supporting revenue unit; the Department of Information Science has ~40+ faculty and is research-active (a tenure-track academic department, not an adjunct shop). Not newly launched. | infosci.cornell.edu/directory ; courses.cornell.edu | Med-High |
| Visa (6) | STEM-designated — CIP 11.0103 (Information Technology) is on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list, so graduates are eligible for the 24-month STEM-OPT extension. | courses.cornell.edu ; DHS/ICE STEM list | High |
| Outcomes (10) | Does publish: 85% employed within 6 months, $100K mean starting salary, 81% employed in the U.S. — but with no disclosed methodology, response rate, or year. | infosci.cornell.edu/masters/mps/careers | Med |
The score
International 12 · Full-pay 16 · Open-door 6 · One-year 9 · Middleman 2 · Factory 4 · Visa 6 · Outcomes 4 → Total ≈ 59 / 100 — "Elevated."
It lands in the Elevated band — and the things keeping it out of the "Strong profile" range are worth naming, because they're the markers that separate a prestige-tuition program from an extraction one. There is no OPM taking a 40-60% cut of tuition (Middleman: 2/12). It's a real academic department, not a bolted-on revenue unit running on adjuncts (Factory: 4/10). And — unlike most programs we review — it publishes graduate outcomes rather than hiding them (Outcomes: 4/10; we'd score it lower still if the methodology were disclosed). What pushes it up: a ~$74K full-pay sticker with limited aid, a roughly one-year coursework structure, and a STEM-OPT runway that is part of the practical appeal for an international cohort.
Mitigating context
Cornell is a globally ranked university and Bowers is one of the strongest computing-and-information faculties in the country; an Information Science MPS here is not the same product as one from an unranked online vendor. The program's open-to-all-majors admissions and "no required core courses" flexibility are, for a professional degree, arguably features — they let career-changers in. Crucially, it runs the program itself and discloses placement and salary figures, which is more transparency than many six-figure programs offer (treat the numbers as program-reported and undated rather than independently audited — the fixable gap is the missing methodology and response rate). For an applicant who wants the Cornell brand, a STEM-OPT runway, and a one-year on-campus path, this can be a perfectly rational purchase — provided you price the real full-pay tuition and assume little to no funding, which our data on assistantship funding for international MS students shows is the norm for professional master's like this one.
For comparison on the same rubric: Columbia's SPS Applied Analytics scores higher (a documented revenue unit that publishes no program outcomes), and Georgia Tech's OMSCS scores far lower — the benchmark for a genuinely good deal. Cornell is one data point in our broader investigation of cash-cow master's at elite universities. Publishing alongside this post, two siblings in the same series: Penn's MCIT and UT Arlington's MS in CS.
Right of reply. Cornell and the Bowers College are welcome to respond — including program-specific international-enrollment data, an acceptance rate, or the methodology and response rate behind the published outcomes — and we will publish it in full.
This is opinion and structural analysis based on public data as of June 2026 — not financial, immigration, or admissions advice. "Cash cow" is an evaluative label for a revenue-oriented structure, not an allegation of wrongdoing. Figures change; verify current terms with the program. GradPilot is independent and unaffiliated with Cornell.
Sources
Cornell Bowers MPS in Information Science program, requirements, admissions FAQ, careers, and funding pages (infosci.cornell.edu); Cornell Courses of Study, Information Science ISCI-MPS, incl. CIP 11.0103 (courses.cornell.edu); Office of the Bursar tuition rates and fees, 2026-27 (bursar.cornell.edu); Cornell Institutional Research & Planning factbook (irp.cornell.edu); DHS/ICE STEM Designated Degree Program List (ice.gov). Accessed June 2026.
Related Reading
- The Cash-Cow Index: Score Your Master's Offer in 8 Tests
- Cash Cow Master's Programs at Elite Universities
- Is Penn's MCIT a Cash Cow?
- Is UT Arlington's MS in CS a Cash Cow?
- Is Georgia Tech's OMSCS a Cash Cow? (the low-score benchmark)
- TA/RA/GA Funding Reality for International MS Students
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