Cornell has a long history of graduate study, going all the way back to our founding in 1865. The university is one of the first in the United States to offer advanced degrees, and among the first to admit women and students of color. Today, scholars in nearly 100 fields are engaged in studies and research in the Graduate School—an intellectually stimulating, warm, and vibrant community.

Cornell’s graduate students expand the limits of human knowledge every day, working at the forefront of research and discovery in dozens of different fields. Your gift to the Graduate School Annual Fund helps us deliver programs and support for our graduate students that go beyond standard lab or classroom experiences, to help them thrive at Cornell and succeed once they graduate.

Make your gift to the Graduate School now

In the past, the Graduate School Annual Fund has supported:

Future priorities for the Graduate School Annual Fund include:

How the Graduate School would use future gifts at the following levels:

  • $2,000will sponsor a Graduate Student Ambassador in off-campus recruitment events centered on our founding principle of “… any person … any study.”
  • $2,500will support 10 students to participate in our Summer Success Symposium, an annual professional and community development event for doctoral students.
  • $3,000will fund three students for summer intensive, non-English language instruction.
  • $5,000will send 10 students to professional conferences.
  • $7,000+will support initiatives that advance positive research and learning environments for our graduate students, such as annual public keynotes focused on allyship and mentoring.

Message from the dean

Kathryn J. Boor, Dean and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

“Gifts to the Graduate School Annual Fund are the engine that drives programs that broaden the student experience beyond the classroom. Gifts also help us offer graduate education that is accessible to top students from backgrounds historically excluded and underrepresented in graduate school. At the Graduate School, we’re committed to ensuring that Cornell stays true to our founding principle of ‘… any person … any study.’”

—Kathryn J. Boor
Dean and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Contact the Graduate School

Connect with us to learn more about ways to give to the Graduate School Annual Fund by contacting a member of our staff.

Every dollar adds up

We can do so much more with your support this year—and every year.

Make your gift to the Graduate School