Cornell University was founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell, a successful businessman and philanthropist, and Andrew Dickson White, a politician and educator, with the mission to make higher education accessible to all, teach practical subjects alongside the classics, and be non-sectarian and coeducational from the start. It was chartered as New York State's land-grant university under the Morrill Act, opening its doors in Ithaca in 1868. Cornell grew rapidly in the late 19th and 20th centuries, establishing pioneering programs in agriculture, engineering, hotel management, and labor relations; it played key roles in wartime research, civil rights advancements, and the expansion of coeducation and diversity, while also founding Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City (1898) and Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island (2017).
Cornell’s main campus is located in Ithaca, New York, on over 2,300 acres of dramatic hillside overlooking Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region, featuring a stunning mix of Gothic, Victorian, and modern architecture surrounded by gorges, waterfalls, and extensive natural areas. Iconic landmarks include McGraw Tower and its chimes, Sage Hall (one of the oldest buildings), the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art designed by I.M. Pei, the Plantations (botanical gardens), and Libe Slope leading to the Arts Quad. The university also operates the 746-acre Cornell Tech campus in New York City (focused on tech, business, and design) and the Weill Cornell Medicine campus in Manhattan, plus international programs and agricultural experiment stations across New York State.
Cornell is governed by a Board of Trustees with about 60 members, including representatives from New York State (due to its land-grant status), alumni, faculty, students, and other stakeholders. The current president is Martha E. Pollack (since 2017, Cornell’s 14th president), who leads the university alongside a provost and deans of its colleges and schools. The administration oversees a decentralized structure with seven undergraduate colleges and schools in Ithaca (plus graduate/professional schools), Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell Tech, and Cornell Cooperative Extension, supported by an endowment of approximately $10–11 billion (as of late 2025).
Cornell is organized into seven undergraduate colleges and schools in Ithaca (Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture, Art and Planning, Arts and Sciences, Brooks School of Public Policy, Engineering, Human Ecology, ILR School, and Hotel Administration), plus graduate fields, professional schools (including the top-ranked Law School, Johnson Graduate School of Management, and Veterinary Medicine), Weill Cornell Medicine, and Cornell Tech. It is renowned for its interdisciplinary approach, land-grant mission combining practical and theoretical education, and excellence in agriculture, engineering, hotel management, veterinary medicine, labor relations, computer science, and hotel administration. Cornell consistently ranks among the top 10–20 universities globally and in the U.S., with strong research output (over $1 billion annually), affiliations with dozens of Nobel laureates, and leadership in areas like AI, sustainability, and life sciences.
Cornell enrolls about 15,000 undergraduates and 10,000 graduate/professional students, creating a diverse, intellectually intense, and spirited community with students from all 50 states and over 120 countries. Life revolves around the “gorges Ithaca” setting—hiking, waterfalls, and outdoor activities—along with strong traditions like Dragon Day (architecture students’ parade), Slope Day (spring concert festival), and the Cornell-Princeton hockey rivalry. The university offers over 1,000 student organizations, 36 varsity sports (NCAA Division I, Ivy League), Greek life (about one-third of undergrads), and unique residential options including program houses and cooperative living. The culture blends rigorous academics with a collaborative, “work hard, play hard” ethos, generous need-based financial aid, and a reputation for activism, entrepreneurship, and community engagement in a beautiful, four-season college town.
Professors at Cornell University
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