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Education

Education is what this town is about. From toddlers to senior citizens — there’s always something to learn and a place to learn it. Area school systems are among the finest, and several colleges play a big part in local culture. This means not only a well-educated workforce, but many sources of stimulation and learning for you, your family, and your staff.

Cornell University With state-of- the-art facilities and world-renowned faculty, Cornell is a powerful partner for local companies. The university boasts seven undergraduate colleges; a graduate school; professional-degree schools in business management, architecture and planning, law, and veterinary medicine; and more than 100 interdisciplinary research centers. And at last count, a very short list of Cornell faculty honors included three Nobel laureates, five MacArthur Fellows, four Pulitzer Prize winners, and two Turing Award winners. Founded in 1865, Cornell is the youngest member of the Ivy League. It is also the only Ivy that incorporates a state land-grant institution, creating a unique mix of the private university with the public, and the humanities with the applied sciences. Cornell is a big place with vast resources.

Ithaca College Known as “IC,” (pronounced “I See”), this nationally recognized college focuses on undergraduate education but also trains at the master’s level — including an MBA program. First-class music and theater programs provide the community with fine student performances and a terrific concert series. When hiring, look for IC graduates from the Park School of Communications, as well as from the School of Business and the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance.   

Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) offers programs in business, computers, health, communications, liberal arts, criminal justice, and human services. Located just down the road in Dryden, TC3 also offers many classes in downtown Ithaca. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to train staff, or just to take a few classes yourself. TC3 is part of one of 30 community colleges and 64 campuses in the State University of New York system. This “SUNY” system is another great educational perk for local residents, offering high-quality education without high cost. Empire State College Empire State College is the SUNY solution for working adults, offering flexible combinations of distance learning and faculty mentoring that let you finish a degree, further your career, or simply enrich your life. And there’s an office right in Ithaca.

Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College have released joint report on their economic impact on Tompkins County.

“Excellent educational opportunities, the phenomenal beauty of the Cayuga landscape and other quality-of-life considerations allow us to recruit and retain outstanding employees. These considerations, along with the proximity to Cornell, one of the leading research universities in the nation, makes Tompkins County a nearly ideal location to build a high technology business.”
Greg Galvin President & CEO Kionix, Inc

Tompkins County Area Development
200 East Buffalo Street, Suite 102A
Ithaca, New York 14850
( 607 ) 273 - 0005