Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

What Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences does

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Cornell CALS) is the land-grant agricultural college within Cornell University, the only such institution in the Ivy League, founded under the Morrill Act of 1862 and renamed to include Life Sciences in 1971. CALS delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 14 academic departments and three schools — encompassing more than 20 majors and 40+ minors — to roughly 4,620 students (3,600 undergraduates and 1,020 graduate students). It is supported by more than 600 faculty members and 1,000 staff.

Research and outreach form the second pillar of activity: CALS led Cornell's Ithaca campus in FY2024 with $291.6 million in research expenditures, operates 498 facilities and 13,000+ acres of experimental farms and forests across New York State, and runs Cornell AgriTech in Geneva. Cornell Cooperative Extension — jointly administered with the College of Human Ecology — deploys personnel into every one of New York's 62 counties and all five NYC boroughs, translating research into practical applications for farmers, communities, and policymakers. Notable technology platforms include Cornell CEA's speed breeding facility (60-85% faster plant generation cycles) and the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility.

Revenue is sourced from federal and state research grants (USDA, NSF, NIH, NYSERDA), tuition, and private philanthropy, with the largest single gift being a $55 million donation in December 2025 to establish the Cornell CALS Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment. Global programs span 61 countries through academic and research partnerships. Dean Benjamin Z. Houlton (12th dean, since 2020, reappointed 2024) leads the institution, which has over 600 faculty and recently revamped its curriculum for 2025 to emphasize hands-on experiential learning.

Name

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Legal name

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Website

https://cals.cornell.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1862

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cornell CALS is Cornell University's land-grant college of agriculture and life sciences, educating ~4,620 students, leading the Ithaca campus in research expenditures ($291.6M in FY2024), and translating science to communities via Cooperative Extension across all 62 New York counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Agricultural and Life Sciences

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

akta.pro primary industry

Land-Grant Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Agricultural education
• Life sciences research
• Cooperative extension services
• Academic degree programs
• Agricultural research

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: Federal, state, and private research funding including grants from USDA, NSF, NIH, and industry partners. CALS led Cornell's Ithaca campus in research expenditures with $291.6 million in fiscal year 2024.
2. Tuition and Fees: Tuition revenue from undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in CALS programs
3. Private Philanthropy: Gifts and donations including the $55 million gift to establish the Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment in December 2025

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cornell CALS is a higher education college within Cornell University that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across agriculture, life sciences, environmental science, food systems, and global development. It conducts scientific research through more than 600 faculty members across 14 academic departments and three schools, manages Cornell AgriTech and the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station, and operates the statewide Cornell Cooperative Extension network delivering research-based knowledge to New York farmers, families, and communities.

Product overview

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is an educational institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across agriculture, life sciences, environmental studies, and related fields. As the only land-grant agricultural college in the Ivy League, CALS provides educational programs, conducts research, and operates extension services through Cornell Cooperative Extension across New York State. The institution encompasses multiple academic departments, schools, and research facilities including Cornell AgriTech, various research labs, and experimental farms. CALS does not offer commercial software products or technology platforms; its primary offerings are academic education, research services, and community extension programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• ChobaniflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Chobani Scholars Program established to support students pursuing studies in agriculture, food and animal science. Each scholar receives $20,000 scholarship. Since inception in 2019, program has selected undergraduate students from New York as Chobani scholars.
• Cornell Cooperative ExtensioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStatewide extension system with Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel stationed in every county of New York State and all five NYC boroughs, delivering research-based solutions to agricultural and community challenges
• College of Human EcologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership for leadership of Cornell Cooperative Extension throughout New York State, sharing responsibility between CALS and the College of Human Ecology
• Boyce Thompson InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Boyce Thompson Institute located on Cornell campus, focused on plant science research and development
• Cornell Atkinson Center for SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary research center addressing sustainability challenges through collaboration across Cornell colleges and external partners
• International Universities and Organizations (61 countries)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnerships with universities, governments, NGOs, and private sector in 61 countries supporting health and well-being of people and the planet through collaborative research and capacity building

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: A leading land-grant agricultural college with comparable scale of research expenditures, extension mandate (UC ANR), and global development portfolio. Dean Houlton was previously a UC Davis faculty member, making the institutional overlap especially direct.
• Purdue University College of Agriculture: Major land-grant agricultural college with strong research expenditures, statewide extension footprint, and a similar mix of animal, plant, and life sciences programs. One of the most direct comparables to CALS in scale and mission.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of ACES: A peer land-grant college of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences with a comparable research expenditure base, extension service, and broad life sciences coverage that mirrors CALS's academic portfolio.
• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Direct land-grant peer with similar naming convention (CALS), strong extension footprint, and significant R&D expenditures in agriculture and life sciences — a structural twin of Cornell CALS.
• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences: A land-grant agricultural college with a similarly broad portfolio spanning animal, plant, environmental, and life sciences, plus a statewide extension network. Closely comparable in mission and operating model.
• Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Land-grant agricultural and natural resources college with strong research expenditure base and a long-established cooperative extension service. Operates at a scale and breadth directly comparable to CALS.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences: Land-grant CALS peer with parallel naming, statewide extension model, and comparable life sciences scope. Operates a similarly large research enterprise tied to agriculture and environmental sciences.
• Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Large land-grant agricultural college with massive research expenditures, a robust extension service (Texas A&M AgriLife), and broad life sciences scope — a direct scale and mission peer.
• Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences: Land-grant CFAES college with similar scale, statewide extension mandate, and combined food, agricultural, and environmental sciences portfolio that closely matches CALS's academic structure.
• University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences: Land-grant college with a comparable combined food, agricultural, and natural resource sciences portfolio and an extension-driven research translation model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CornellCALS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CornellCALS
• Facebookfacebook.com/CornellCALS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornell-university-college-of-agriculture-and-life-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornelluniversitycals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences