Unlike Harvard, Yale, Princeton and other Ivy League schools, which are privately owned and operated, Cornell is a unique combination of public and private, receiving subsidies from the state government on the one hand and soliciting donations from individuals and foundations on the other.
有別於哈佛、耶魯、普林斯頓等美國東岸私校系統為主的長春藤盟校，康乃爾十分特別地同時擁有州立與私立兩個系統，一方面接受州政府的津貼；一方面接受私人捐贈，也向財團募款。