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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.

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

16

Departments

7 departments shared with other Cornell colleges and schools

2

Schools

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management
and the School of Integrative Plant Science

$275M

Total research expenditures

FY 2023

4,020

Undergraduate students

As of May 2023

950

Graduate students

As of May 2021

350

Faculty

As of May 2021

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.

people discussing plants

Teaching passion-driven minds

Scientist and student with computers

Purpose-driven science in action

researchers in field

Sharing knowledge with the community

Latest news, discoveries and breakthroughs

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

A townsend's solitaire perched on a branch with red berries

News

Ready, set … count! Annual birding event aids research

The Great Backyard Bird Count, organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration with Audubon and Birds Canada, is Feb. 14-17 and invites volunteers to watch birds and record what they see, enriching the Cornell Lab’s trove of data.

  • Lab of Ornithology
  • Animals
birds-eye-view of a city road with buildings on either side.

News

A new mapping approach piloted by Cornell researchers could help policymakers identify where people live in extreme poverty and target resources more effectively.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Applied Economics
  • Development
Rows of dormant grapevines

News

Warmer autumns and more “false” springs are disrupting the signals grapevines rely on to gain cold hardiness for the winter and blossom effectively in the spring, according to new research from Cornell AgriTech.

  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Fruits