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Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

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About CALS

Cornell CALS is a premier institution of scientific learning, tackling the complex challenges of our time through purpose-driven science.

You want to change the world. So do we.

We are a community with a common goal: to leave the world better than we found it. Ambitious? Sure. But Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has been changing the world for over a century and will continue to do so into the future.

Founded in agriculture and focused on life, we are pioneers who have shaped contemporary science and eagerly embraced international opportunity, while always serving the people in the state of New York.

Our purpose

This is the charge that motivates us: CALS tackles the challenges of our times through purpose-driven science that advances understanding and improves life.

CALS at a glance

14

Departments

8 departments shared with other Cornell colleges and schools

3

Schools

The Ashley School of Global Development & the Environment, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management and the School of Integrative Plant Science

$292M

Total research expenditures

FY 2024

4,020

Undergraduate students

942

Graduate students

350

Faculty

We seek answers in order to find the next questions.

Our mission

These are our objectives and how we accomplish them: As a premier institution of scientific learning, we connect the life, agricultural, environmental and social sciences to provide world-class education, spark unexpected discoveries and inspire pioneering solutions.

What we do

We are actively pursuing our mission to serve the public through our education, research and extension/outreach efforts. 

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Teaching passion-driven minds

Learn about a CALS education
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Purpose-driven science in action

Explore our research
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Sharing knowledge with the community

Learn about outreach and extension

Learn more about CALS

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Latest news, discoveries and breakthroughs

Explore the work we’re doing today and discover how it’s reshaping tomorrow.

A wide aerial view of a calm lake surrounded by rolling hills in autumn colors. Golden trees line the shoreline in the foreground, and the sky above is filled with dramatic clouds reflecting on the water’s surface.

News

Environmental DNA breakthrough will aid conservation efforts

Researchers developed a new model that can predict where a sampled particle of eDNA likely originated in a water body.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Biological and Environmental Engineering
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
A horned grebe floating in water

News

With planning, birds and floating solar can coexist

A new data-informed approach to siting floating solar in the Northeast could help protect birds, without sacrificing clean energy gains.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Lab of Ornithology
  • Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
Man riding a tractor in a field

News

More productive farming lowers global emissions

A new analysis shows that improved farm productivity has been the driving force in keeping global greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in check, with implications for how countries support farmers and research.

  • Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
  • Agriculture
  • Climate Change
View more news & stories