Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

What Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences does

The Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a constituent college of Mississippi State University, a public land-grant institution founded in 1878 with the agriculture program formally established in 1903. The college operates 18+ departments spanning Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Animal and Dairy Sciences, Food Science/Nutrition/Health Promotion, Poultry Science, Landscape Architecture, Agricultural Economics, Plant and Soil Sciences, Human Sciences, and Biochemistry. It delivers 17+ undergraduate majors, master's and doctoral degree programs, plus minors, endorsements, and certificates in areas such as Precision Agriculture, Meat Science, and International Studies in Agriculture.

Its underlying technology and research infrastructure centers on conventional agricultural and biological research: precision agriculture systems, GPS/GIS, remote sensing, digital mapping, 3D scanning, computational fluid dynamics, molecular biology and genomics, meat science processing, and food safety technology. Purpose-built facilities include the Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory (2018), the Animal and Dairy Sciences Building (2019), the Poultry Science Building (2020) with a new Poultry Feed Mill, and the renovated Ballew Hall (2025) housing administrative, classroom, and MAFES (Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station) operations.

The college is funded through a mix of state appropriations, tuition, MAFES grant-funded research, alumni donations and endowments, and industry partnerships (American Feed Industry Association, IFEEDER, World Food Prize Global Youth Institutes). Its go-to-market is event-driven and partnership-led: campus visit scheduling, CALS Day, alumni breakfast, CALS Ambassadors peer-recruiting, articulation agreements with Mississippi community and junior colleges (over 40% of students are transfers), the MS Youth Institute high-school pipeline, and a multi-channel social presence (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube CALS Influence TV). Student recruitment targets high school students, transfer students, and prospective undergraduates and graduates across the Southeast U.S. and increasingly through international pipelines (Chibero College of Agriculture, Zimbabwe; study abroad programs).

Name

Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Legal name

Mississippi State University

Website

https://cals.msstate.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is a public land-grant college offering 17+ undergraduate majors, graduate degrees, and certificates in agriculture and life sciences. It serves prospective and current students in Mississippi and internationally, funded by state appropriations, tuition, research grants, and alumni endowments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Agricultural Sciences

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), 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

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA), Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

Keywords

• Agricultural education
• Land-grant university
• Life sciences programs
• Agricultural research
• Food science degree

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississippi State

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Funding (MAFES): The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station provides grant-funded research support for faculty and graduate students
2. Student Scholarships and Endowments: Endowed positions and scholarship funding from alumni donors supporting student development
3. University-State Funding: Public university funding from state appropriations and tuition

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Mississippi State University delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning agriculture, life sciences, food science, biochemistry, landscape architecture, fashion design, and human sciences across 18+ departments. The college operates research and extension infrastructure through the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), offering hands-on learning in facilities such as the Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory and the Poultry Feed Mill. Supporting programs include student organizations, study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research scholarships, and the Mississippi Youth Institute pipeline program for high school students.

Product overview

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Mississippi State University offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services centered around undergraduate majors, graduate studies, and specialized programs. The core offerings include 17 undergraduate degree programs spanning agriculture, life sciences, business, and design disciplines; graduate-level master's and doctoral degrees across multiple departments; and professional certificates and minors for specialization. Supporting programs include student organizations, study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research, and the Mississippi Youth Institute for high school students. These offerings work together to prepare students for careers in agriculture, food science, animal health, environmental science, and related industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Majors Program Comprehensive undergraduate degree programs across agriculture, life sciences, business, and design disciplines including Agribusiness, Agricultural Science, Animal and Dairy Sciences, Biochemistry, Poultry Science, Landscape Architecture, and Fashion Design and Merchandising.
• Graduate Studies Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% improvement in sperm motility in bull reproductive research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Food Prize / Global Youth InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2023MS Youth Institute is part of the World Food Prize Global Youth Institutes network. Students research developing countries and global food security factors, with top performers advancing to the Global Youth Institute in Des Moines, Iowa.
• American Feed Industry Association (AFIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFIA's Equipment Manufacturers Committee provides annual $5,000 scholarships to MSU students pursuing careers in the animal food industry. MSU is the eighth educational partner in the EMC scholarship program.
• IFEEDERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute for Feed Education and Research collaborates with EMC on scholarship fund growth, contributing $10,000 annually to the scholarship program.
• Belinda Stewart ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEupora-based architecture firm (MSU alumni-owned) that led the restoration project for Ballew Hall, preserving historic features while modernizing the space.
• Ethos Contracting GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStarkville-based contracting company (MSU alumni-owned) that completed the Ballew Hall renovation project.
• Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDAH works with MSU leadership to preserve historic university structures. MDAH leadership praised Ballew Hall as an outstanding example of adaptive reuse.
• Auburn UniversityminorOthersOne of eight educational partners in the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• Iowa State UniversityminorOthersOne of eight educational partners in the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• Kansas State UniversityminorOthersOne of eight educational partners in the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• North Carolina State UniversityminorOthersOne of eight educational partners in the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• North Dakota State UniversityminorOthersOne of eight educational partners in the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• West Virginia UniversityminorOthersOne of eight educational partners in the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• California Polytechnic State UniversityminorOthersOne of eight educational partners in the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• Chibero College of Agriculture (Zimbabwe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Chibero College of Agriculture in Zimbabwe and MSU allows students to complete their bachelor's degrees at MSU after attending Chibero for two years.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Land-grant agricultural college with parallel animal science, food science, agronomy, and ag-business programs. Confirmed peer via the shared AFIA EMC scholarship program partnership with MSU.
• Kansas State University College of Agriculture: Land-grant agricultural college with overlapping programs in animal sciences, grain science, and agricultural economics. Confirmed peer via the AFIA EMC scholarship program.
• Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Large public land-grant agricultural college with similar 17-department scope spanning animal sciences, poultry science, food science, agribusiness, and landscape architecture. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and funding model to MSU CALS, though at materially larger scale.
• Purdue University College of Agriculture: Top-ranked land-grant agricultural college with parallel programs in food science, animal sciences, agribusiness, and agricultural and biological engineering — directly comparable academic structure to MSU CALS.
• North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Southeast land-grant agricultural college with similar departmental breadth including poultry science, food science, plant and soil sciences, and agricultural economics. Confirmed peer via the AFIA EMC scholarship partnership network.
• Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Land-grant (partially) agricultural and life sciences college with the same broad mission profile — animal sciences, food science, plant and soil sciences, and applied economics. Directly comparable in academic structure.
• University of Florida IFAS (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences): Major Southeastern land-grant agricultural college with directly overlapping scope in animal sciences, food science, plant and soil sciences, and agricultural economics. Comparable in mission and demographic reach.
• West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Regional land-grant agricultural college with comparable programs in animal sciences, plant and soil sciences, and food science. Confirmed peer via the AFIA EMC scholarship partnership with MSU.
• North Dakota State University College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources: Land-grant agricultural college with similar programs in animal sciences, plant sciences, and food science. Confirmed peer via the AFIA EMC scholarship program alongside MSU.
• Auburn University College of Agriculture: Regional land-grant peer in the Southeast with comparable programs in poultry science, animal sciences, and crop production. Directly comparable geographically and structurally; also a fellow AFIA EMC scholarship partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/msu_ag
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MSUAgandLifeSciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/MSUCALS
• Instagraminstagram.com/msuag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msu-college-of-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences