Officially, Cornell does not have a mascot. However, generations of Cornellians have come to know and love the Big Red Bear as Cornell’s unofficial mascot. Early in the school’s athletic history, a bear took over as its most recognizable symbol. Named “Touchdown,” the first live Cornell bear appeared in 1915 during Cornell's undefeated and national championship football season. Enthusiastic Big Red Bear-loving undergraduates don the fuzzy uniform and perform at various official Cornell celebrations and varsity athletic events, including at all football games.

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Cornell University is a four-year institution offering nearly 80 majors, 100 academic departments, and more than 4,000 courses of study. Cornell is both a privately endowed research university and the federal land-grant institution in New York State. We have a responsibility - unique within the Ivy League - to make contributions in all fields of knowledge in a manner that prioritizes public engagement to help improve the quality of life in our state, the nation, and the world.

Founded in 1880, The Cornell Daily Sun is the oldest continuously independent college daily newspaper in the country. It is staffed almost entirely by Cornell students, operating out of an office building in downtown Ithaca. The Cornell Daily Sun is free on newsstands and available online, providing the Cornell community with all of the latest campus news.

Carpenter, mechanic, farmer, salesman, inventor, entrepreneur, politician and philanthropist, Ezra Cornell was an extraordinary man. While he referred to himself simply as a farmer and mechanic who had spent some time working in the telegraph industry, through skillful work, uncommon tenacity, and fortuitous circumstances, he amassed a fortune. Ezra Cornell envisioned America as a place where technology, wealth, and altruism could come together to benefit all of its inhabitants. In 1865, with his fortune at hand, he founded Cornell University.

Cornell University’s colors are carnelian red and white. Cornell's first association with its signature colors was the red felt banner bearing hand-cut white letters spelling “Cornell University" used during the October 7, 1868 inauguration of the university and its first president, Andrew Dickson White. The nickname "Big Red" for Cornell teams originated in 1905.

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Cornell is unique: Although it's an Ivy League university, chartered as a private institution, it includes undergraduate colleges and schools that receive some funding from New York State. They are sometimes called state contract colleges. The state subsidy results in lower tuition for students who have New York State residency and are enrolled in these colleges or schools. The state-assisted colleges and schools are:

Each program has its own requirements for successful yearly reinstatement, including GPA requirements and hourly requirements that align with the program’s focus. More information is available on The Cornell Commitment website.

Students with demonstrated financial need will receive a $4,000/year scholarship, which increases total grant aid and reduces self-help aid such as loans, summer savings, or work. Students will also have access to a support account of $3,500 to assist with program-related initiatives, along with additional funding to offset costs associated with activities that more broadly align with The Cornell Commitment’s values of service, leadership, and research. Each program also has its own unique benefits and perks.

The Cornell University Library is one of the ten largest academic research libraries in the country. Cornell also has subject-specific libraries. To learn more about the libraries and other study spots on campus, please visit Cornell's Libraries page.