CSU College of Agricultural Sciences

What CSU College of Agricultural Sciences does

CSU College of Agricultural Sciences is a constituent college of Colorado State University, a public land-grant institution founded in 1870 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The college organizes its academic and research mission across five departments: Agricultural Biology, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Animal Sciences, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and Soil and Crop Sciences. Its underlying technology infrastructure comprises the Agricultural Experiment Station, a network of nine research centers spanning Colorado's diverse agricultural zones (from plains to mountains to valley), the Plant Growth Facilities, the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building, the Blue Sky Dairy partner farm, and the Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur in Denver.

The college operates a hybrid revenue model. Tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate degree programs form the academic base. Research grants and contracts from federal agencies (notably USDA), the state, and private agricultural companies fund the research enterprise. Private philanthropy supports named facilities (e.g., Nutrien Building) and endowed scholarships. A commercial revenue stream is operated through the Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur, which offers fee-for-service sensory testing (Discrimination Testing starting at $6,000, Affective Testing starting at $7,500, Qualitative Consumer Research starting at $4,000), food analysis, product development, shelf-life testing, nutrition facts panel generation, Process Authority Letters, and consulting at a $175/hour base rate. Customer segments include prospective and current students, food entrepreneurs and SMB food and beverage companies, federal and state research sponsors, and philanthropic donors. Distribution is primarily direct through on-campus instruction, the statewide Agricultural Experiment Station research center network, county extension offices, and the CSU Spur urban campus.

Name

CSU College of Agricultural Sciences

Legal name

Colorado State University

Website

https://agsci.colostate.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The public land-grant agricultural college of Colorado State University (founded 1870) offering five-department degree programs, statewide agricultural research via nine research centers, and commercial food product development services through its Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur in Denver.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Agricultural Sciences

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Land-Grant Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA)

Keywords

• Agricultural education
• Agricultural research services
• Food science testing
• Land-grant university
• Agronomy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins, Colorado

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate student tuition and fees for agricultural sciences degree programs
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Federal, state, and industry funding for agricultural research through grants from USDA, NSF, and private agricultural companies
3. Private Philanthropy: Donations from alumni, industry partners, and foundations including named buildings (Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building) and endowed scholarships
4. Food Innovation Center Services: Fee-for-service sensory testing, product development, and consulting services for food entrepreneurs and companies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The CSU College of Agricultural Sciences is a land-grant college within Colorado State University offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across five departments (Agricultural Biology, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Animal Sciences, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and Soil and Crop Sciences). It operates the Agricultural Experiment Station network of nine research centers across Colorado and provides fee-for-service food product development, sensory testing, and analytical services through the Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur in Denver.

Product overview

CSU College of Agricultural Sciences operates as a land-grant college offering academic programs across five departments (Agricultural Biology, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Animal Sciences, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Soil and Crop Sciences). The college provides commercial food product development services through the Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur, including sensory testing, food analysis, nutrition labeling, product development, shelf-life testing, and process authority services. Research infrastructure includes eight regional research centers across Colorado (ARDEC, Arkansas Valley, Eastern Colorado, Plainsman, Plant Growth Facilities, San Luis Valley, Southwestern Colorado, Western Colorado, and Metro), the CSU Spur urban campus, and the Agricultural Experiment Station. Student programs include undergraduate research fellowships and livestock evaluation teams. The college also operates the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building with event spaces and conference facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NutriencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2026Nutrien is a flagship partner supporting the college through the annual Ag Day BBQ event, naming rights for the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building, and the Nutrien Distinguished Scholar program. The partnership honors CSU's agricultural roots while elevating scholarships and celebrating the agricultural community.
• AgIndustry Leadership CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory council of agricultural industry leaders providing guidance to the college on industry needs, workforce development priorities, and strategic direction. The council meets regularly to ensure alignment between academic programs and industry requirements.
• Good Food Purchasing Program CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the City and County of Denver on adopting the Good Food Purchasing Program, a values-based procurement policy. CSU works with Denver to expand the coalition to include rural stakeholders including farmers and ranchers affected by policy changes.
• USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal research funding partner supporting agricultural research through grants. Faculty research in areas including dairy cattle welfare, end-of-life decision making, and agricultural economics is supported through USDA competitive grants.
• Plainsman Agricultural Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation owns the land housing the Plainsman Research Center in Walsh, Colorado. This public-private partnership enables research addressing challenges of the Dust Bowl-era agricultural region in southeastern Colorado.
• University of California DavisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership through which Kevin Larson earned his master's degree in agronomy, exemplifying the college's connections with leading agricultural research universities.
• Australian Herbicide Resistance InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration with the University of Western Australia focused on weed science and herbicide resistance management, with Associate Professor Todd Gaines serving as a key collaborator.
• International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexico-based international agricultural research organization where Dr. Scott Haley participates in wheat improvement training courses and mentors researchers from developing countries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences: UIUC ACES is a comparable land-grant agricultural college with a comparable mix of plant, animal, and agribusiness departments and a strong USDA and industry-funded research base.
• Purdue University College of Agriculture: Purdue Agriculture is a comparable land-grant agricultural college with multi-state extension reach, USDA research funding, and commercial food/agricultural testing services, making it a close functional peer.
• Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Texas A&M's COALS is another large land-grant agricultural college with extensive research-center networks, USDA-funded programs, and industry partnerships similar in structure to CSU's Agricultural Experiment Station.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences: UW-Madison CALS is a long-standing land-grant agricultural college with strong dairy and animal sciences programs that compete for similar USDA funding, students, and industry partnerships in the upper Midwest.
• Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences: WSU CAHNRS is a western land-grant agricultural college with analogous experiment-station infrastructure, USDA research funding, and program mix spanning plant, animal, and resource economics.
• Kansas State University College of Agriculture: Kansas State Agriculture is a land-grant agricultural college with a comparable experiment-station network and crop/animal sciences program mix. It competes for USDA funding and the same regional agricultural student pool.
• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Iowa State CALS operates one of the largest land-grant agricultural college footprints with extensive research stations and extension offices. Its mission, departments, and industry alignment closely mirror CSU's College of Agricultural Sciences.
• Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences: Oregon State's CAS is a near-twin land-grant agricultural college name and structure, with similar five-department organization, USDA funding pipeline, and western-state agricultural research mandate.
• UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: UC Davis CAES is a premier land-grant agricultural college offering similar degree programs, agricultural experiment station infrastructure, and a portfolio of fee-for-service food and agricultural testing. It is the most direct comparator to CSU's College of Agricultural Sciences in scale, mission, and commercial extension services.

Broad incumbents

• Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Cornell CALS is an Ivy-affiliated land-grant agricultural college operating at substantially larger scale, with broader research footprint and well-developed food/extension services. It serves as a broader incumbent comparator given its size and prestige.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CSUAgSci
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWLqc7mVsXQH7uesJE5BfUQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSUAgSci
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/csuagsci
• Instagraminstagram.com/csuagsci

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CSU College of Agricultural Sciences