UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

What UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture does

The UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) is an academic college within the University of New Hampshire, a public Carnegie R1 land-grant and sea-grant research university. The college is organized into five academic departments — Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems; Biological Sciences; Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences; Natural Resources and the Environment; and the Thompson School of Applied Science — and offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs across life sciences, agriculture, environmental science, marine biology, nutrition, genetics, and related disciplines, supplemented by more than 25 minor programs and accelerated BS/MS pathways. COLSA's research infrastructure includes the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, the NH Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the Center for Integrated Biomedical and Bioengineering Research (CIBBR), the Lamprey River Hydrological Observatory, and an extensive managed estate of farms (Kingman, East Foss, West Foss, Thompson, Horticulture) and forest properties (Lord Farm, Lovell River, Madison Lot, MacDonald Lot) totaling thousands of acres used for long-term ecological and agricultural research.

The college operates outreach programs including UNH Cooperative Extension, the NH Food Alliance, the Sustainability Institute, and the UNH Natural History Collections. Its experiential learning portfolio includes the Therapeutic Riding Program at the UNH Equine Center (serving individuals with disabilities since 1989), the UNH-in-Italy study abroad program in Ascoli Piceno, and the EcoQuest field program. Reported outcomes include a 92% post-graduation employment/graduate-school placement rate (2023 First Destination Survey), a 73% student participation rate in internships/research, and a 77% veterinary school acceptance rate. Research outputs span dairy science, sustainable aquaculture (e.g., a 37% reduction in sea lice on steelhead trout using lumpfish and kelp hides), nitrogen cycling, tick-borne disease ecology (supported by an $8 million NSF award), and food insecurity studies.

Name

UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Legal name

University of New Hampshire

Website

https://colsa.unh.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is an academic college within the University of New Hampshire offering undergraduate, graduate, and associate degrees in life sciences, agriculture, nutrition, and natural resources, supported by farms, forests, marine facilities, and federal research funding, serving students, NH communities, and individuals with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate student tuition and fees for academic programs across multiple degree levels (associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral).
2. Research Grants and Funding: Federal and state funding from agencies including USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Hatch projects), NIH, NSF, EPA, and New Hampshire state funding for agricultural and environmental research through the NH Agricultural Experiment Station.
3. Cooperative Extension Services: Extension programs providing agricultural, nutrition, and environmental education services to New Hampshire communities.
4. Philanthropic Giving: Donations through the Development Board and givecampus.com campaigns supporting college priorities, scholarships, and programs.
5. Therapeutic Riding Program Fees: Fee-based therapeutic riding services for individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

COLSA is an academic college within the University of New Hampshire offering undergraduate, graduate, and associate degree programs across life sciences, agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, and biomedical sciences. The college operates research facilities including the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, NH Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, multiple farms and forest properties, and provides community outreach through Cooperative Extension and the Sustainability Institute.

Product overview

UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is an academic college offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs (undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and minors), research facilities, and outreach services. The core educational offerings include undergraduate programs in agriculture, biology, environmental sciences, nutrition, and related fields, supplemented by graduate programs at MS and PhD levels. Specialized programs include the Therapeutic Riding Program, study abroad options (UNH-in-Italy and EcoQuest), and field experience opportunities. Research infrastructure includes the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and managed woodlands properties. Outreach services through Cooperative Extension and the Sustainability Institute support New Hampshire communities. The college integrates these components to provide hands-on experiential learning alongside academic instruction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs of Study

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of COLSA alumni are employed or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation (2023 First Destination Survey)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOLSA researchers receive funding and support through the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, a state/federal partnership conducting agricultural and environmental research. The station provides facilities, research plots, and sustained funding for faculty research programs.
• NH Water Resources Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState water research institute partnering on water quality studies and watershed research with UNH scientists.
• Shoals Marine LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint marine science education facility operated by UNH and Cornell University, providing field-based marine biology courses for students.
• Gather Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in UNH's Food Repurposing Project, working with COLSA and UNH Hospitality Services to distribute unused dining hall food to community members in need.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS): New England land-grant peer offering undergraduate and graduate programs in agriculture, life sciences, and nutrition with extension services, directly comparable in mission and scale.
• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences: Large land-grant agricultural and life sciences college with extensive extension, experiment station, and applied research infrastructure directly comparable to COLSA's portfolio.
• Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Land-grant and sea-grant college with comparable agriculture, life sciences, and natural resources programs plus extensive extension; mirrors COLSA's mission and structure at a larger scale.
• Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS): Land-grant college with similar scope in agriculture, life sciences, and natural resources; operates the Shoals Marine Laboratory jointly with UNH, making it the closest structural and operational peer to COLSA.
• Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Large land-grant college with experiment station, extension, and broad life sciences coverage; directly comparable in portfolio mix and federal funding model.

Regional players

• University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Natural Sciences: New England public R1 with overlapping life sciences, nutrition, and pre-vet/pre-health offerings; competes for the same regional undergraduate applicant pool.
• University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR): New England public land-grant college covering agriculture, health, and natural resources with extension and research stations; serves as a regional comparator within the same student and funding market.
• University of Maine College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences: Northern New England land-grant and sea-grant peer with overlapping life sciences, marine, and agricultural programs; competes for similar student and federal funding pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/COLSA_UNH
• YouTubeyoutube.com/colsaunh
• Facebookfacebook.com/colsa.unh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unh-college-of-life-sciences-and-agriculture
• Instagraminstagram.com/unh.anfs

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 UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture