Cornell survey shows rise in students reporting nonconsensual sexual contact.
THE DATA
More than a third of undergraduate women who responded to a 2025 Cornell University survey reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact since arriving at the university, according to data released by Cornell.
The findings come as questions about sexual assault, reporting and campus culture have received renewed attention amid an investigation involving allegations that Cornell fraternity members raped and drugged a student.
Cornell’s 2025 Survey of Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct found that 35% of undergraduate women who responded reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact since coming to Cornell. Across the student population surveyed, 15% of respondents reported such an experience.
That figure was 11% in Cornell’s 2023 survey.
Laura Palumbo, communications director for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, said campus surveys can provide information that may not be captured through reports made to university officials or law enforcement.
“They can tell us a lot more about what’s happening on a campus than just looking at the number of campus safety reports or reports that have come through to campus law enforcement,” Palumbo said.
SURVEY PARTICIPATION FALLS
The 2025 survey also had a relatively low response rate. About 15% of students invited to participate completed the survey, less than half the response rate from two years earlier.
The response rate is an important consideration when interpreting the findings because the results reflect the experiences reported by students who chose to participate.
Palumbo said participation can also raise questions about students’ willingness to share their experiences and whether they believe doing so will lead to meaningful change.
Cornell has surveyed students about sexual assault and related misconduct for several years as part of efforts to better understand students’ experiences on campus.
TRAUMA AND REPORTING
The latest scrutiny comes amid an investigation involving allegations that Cornell fraternity members raped and drugged a student.
The district attorney has said the student’s initial account differed from allegations made later.
Palumbo said delayed disclosures, additional details and nonlinear recollections can occur after a traumatic experience and cautioned against assuming that changes in an account alone determine whether an allegation is credible.
“It’s very normal for survivors to, one, delay their disclosure,” Palumbo said. “And then as they are ready to come forward it’s very normal for survivors to not have a linear recollection of their traumatic experience, especially if there were intoxicants involved.”
Palumbo was speaking generally about the effects of trauma and was not determining what occurred in the Cornell case.
The case has also highlighted differences between university disciplinary processes and criminal investigations.
Title IX requires schools receiving federal funding to address sex discrimination, including certain reports of sexual harassment and violence. A university’s Title IX process is separate from a criminal investigation conducted by police and prosecutors, and the two systems have different procedures and potential consequences.
Cornell’s survey found that 23% of respondents who reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact said they contacted a formal resource.
Palumbo said survivors can face difficulties navigating the different avenues available for reporting and receiving support.
“It’s not at all clear where that breakdown may have happened in this case, but I will tell you that is something that survivors commonly struggle with,” Palumbo said.
Palumbo said cases involving allegations of sexual violence can underscore how complicated the reporting process can be and the importance of making sure students understand the resources and reporting options available to them.
