While most of the prestigious schools in New York state are located in Manhattan - NYU and Columbia, for example - upstate New York has at least one to offer, Cornell University. Located in rural Ithaca, Cornell is a private school considered one of the best in the nation; U.S. News ranked it #15 in the nation for 2012. Cornell is a non-sectarian, Ivy League university founded by Ezra Cornell in 1865.AcademicsGetting into Cornell is no easy task, as the university's acceptance rate is about 18 percent. The overwhelming majority (89%) of the class of 2014 ranked in the top 10 percent of their graduating classes, and accepted students typically earn 700 points per S.A.T. section. About 96 percent of freshman return for a second year, and the student to faculty ratio is 11:1. More than half of classes at Cornell have fewer than 20 students.AthleticsCornell students are achievers inside and outside the classroom, as Cornell competes in Division I athletics. The school boasts 36 intercollegiate varsity teams and is often a top contender for national titles in men's Ice Hockey and Lacrosse. As an Ivy League school, Cornell doesn't offer athletic scholarships as a recruiting tool. More casual athletes will appreciate Cornell's club sports and selection of 30 intramural sports.Student LifeThe four-year graduation rate at Cornell is 86 percent, so students enjoy the school. However, only slightly more than half of students - 57 percent - live in campus-affiliated housing. Greek life in Ithaca is prominent, with about 70 fraternities and sororities on campus. Of course, there are plenty of options for those uninterested in Greek life, as Cornell has more than 500 organizations and clubs on campus. The student body of 14,000 is just about evenly split in terms of gender.CostCornell can be expensive; tuition and fees are $41,541, while room and board amounts to $13,160. However, 48.5 percent of students receive need-based aid, with an average award of $34,757.