Employer · plans filed under one EIN
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Educational services
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances.
Cornell University, based in Ithaca, New York, sponsors 5 retirement plans with 100 or more participants: 4 defined contribution and 1 defined benefit. Together they reported 79,914 participant records and $9.51B in net assets.
The largest is Cornell University Retirement Plan for the Employees of the Endowed Colleges at Ithaca, a 403(b) plan with 27,192 participants. A person can be counted in more than one plan, so the participant total is a count of records rather than of people.
Employer contributions across the plans were $179M and participant contributions $151M in the latest plan years; benefits paid were $551M. Schedule C compensation reported to service provider organisations totalled $2.6M.
Combined net assets moved from $3.16B in 2009 to $9.51B in 2024 (up 201%). Plan mergers and spin-offs show up here as steps in the series.
Plans
| Plan | Kind | Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University Retirement Plan for the Employees of the Endowed Colleges at Ithaca | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 27,192 | $3.02B | $111,091 | $5,463 | $412K |
| Cornell University Tax-Deferred Annuity Plan | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 18,312 | $2.43B | $132,834 | — | $306K |
| Weill Cornell Medical College Tax Deferred Annuity Plan | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 16,435 | $1.61B | $98,204 | — | $299K |
| Weill Cornell Medical College Retirement Plan for Faculty and Exempt Employees | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 10,733 | $2.23B | $207,684 | $15,163 | $233K |
| Weill Cornell Medical College Non-Exempt and Frozen Retirement Plan | defined benefit pension plan | 2024 | 7,242 | $218M | $30,159 | $2,727 | $1.4M |
| US median, plan year 2024: DC plans $53,102 per participant, $2,175 employer contribution per active participant; DB plans $86,221 and $10,244. | |||||||
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Plans | Participant records | Net assets | Employer contributions | Participant contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 79,914 | $9.51B | $179M | $151M |
| 2023 | 5 | 78,229 | $8.59B | $155M | $134M |
| 2022 | 5 | 70,405 | $7.42B | $152M | $124M |
| 2021 | 5 | 68,339 | $8.52B | $140M | $118M |
| 2020 | 5 | 65,779 | $7.63B | $121M | $114M |
| 2019 | 5 | 61,395 | $6.72B | $129M | $103M |
| 2018 | 5 | 80,096 | $5.70B | $126M | $96.2M |
| 2017 | 4 | 59,562 | $5.76B | $112M | $92.3M |
| 2016 | 5 | 53,797 | $5.13B | $116M | $83.4M |
| 2015 | 5 | 55,073 | $4.78B | $103M | $85.8M |
| 2014 | 5 | 55,360 | $4.72B | $103M | $71.6M |
| 2013 | 4 | 47,823 | $4.37B | $91.1M | $66.2M |
| 2012 | 5 | 49,910 | $3.85B | $94.7M | $61.5M |
| 2011 | 5 | 52,152 | $3.49B | $93.7M | $59.1M |
| 2010 | 5 | 50,338 | $3.48B | $91.7M | $58.8M |
| 2009 | 5 | 55,411 | $3.16B | $89.3M | $71.9M |
History of the plans listed above, in the years each filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants. Plans that have since terminated are not included.
Service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Plans | Compensation reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP Morgan Chase & Co. | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Investment advisory (plan) | 1 | $967,900 |
| Fidelity Inv. Ins. Ops. Co. Inc. | — | 2 | $406,617 |
| Capfinancial Partners, LLC | Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | 4 | $358,213 |
| Bca Watson Rice LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | 3 | $241,990 |
| Willis Towers Watson, LLC | Actuarial | 1 | $224,010 |
| Ropes & Gray, LLP | Legal | 3 | $201,714 |
| TIAA | Recordkeeping and information management; Consulting (pension); Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | 3 | $83,057 |
| Bonadio & Co. LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | 2 | $68,030 |
| New Horizon Financial Strategies | Investment advisory (plan) | 2 | $27,173 |
| Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors | Investment advisory (plan) | 2 | $23,117 |
Organisations paid $5,000 or more by any of these plans, from Schedule C. Individuals are not shown.
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans does Cornell University have?
5 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 under its employer identification number for the latest plan years: Cornell University Retirement Plan for the Employees of the Endowed Colleges at Ithaca, Cornell University Tax-Deferred Annuity Plan, Weill Cornell Medical College Tax Deferred Annuity Plan and Weill Cornell Medical College Retirement Plan for Faculty and Exempt Employees and others. Smaller plans and plans filed under a subsidiary's number are not grouped here.
How much does Cornell University contribute to its plans?
$178,920,891 in employer contributions across these plans in their latest plan years, about $3,527 per active participant record. Form 5500 reports totals and not the match or accrual formula.
Who provides services to these plans?
Schedule C filings name JP Morgan Chase & Co., Fidelity Inv. Ins. Ops. Co. Inc., Capfinancial Partners, LLC and Bca Watson Rice LLP and others. Only organisations paid $5,000 or more by a plan are listed on Schedule C.
Where does this come from?
Form 5500 annual reports filed with the Department of Labor's EFAST2 system, from the EBSA research files, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Figures are as filed and may be amended.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Plans are grouped by the sponsor's employer identification number exactly as filed; a company that files under several EINs appears as several employers. See the methodology and corrections.