History & Culture · Finger Lakes
The Two Schools That Shape Ithaca
Ithaca has been a college town since Cornell University was founded here in 1865. Together with Ithaca College, the campuses give the small Finger Lakes city its outsized buzz.
Published June 21, 2026 · Last verified June 21, 2026
For a small city, Ithaca punches well above its weight, and the reason is two campuses on the hills above Cayuga Lake. Cornell University has been part of town since 1865, when Ezra Cornell gave his farm for the campus and the school became New York’s land-grant university. It opened to students in 1868 and grew into an Ivy League school.
Across the valley is Ithaca College, which started in 1892 as the Ithaca Conservatory of Music and is still known for its music, theater, and communications programs. Between the two, students pour into town each fall and reshape its rhythm.
That energy spills into the streets. Collegetown, right next to Cornell, and the pedestrian Ithaca Commons downtown are full of shops, restaurants, and music within walking distance of campus. It is the kind of place where a bookstore, a falafel cart, and a string quartet can share a block.
The schools also tie back to the gorges. Cornell’s campus is famously split by Fall Creek and Cascadilla gorges, so the “Ithaca is Gorges” spirit runs right through the heart of the university.
Where to see it
Cornell University's campus sits on the hill east of downtown Ithaca, with the Cornell Botanic Gardens and gorge overlooks open to visitors; see cornell.edu for visitor and tour info. Ithaca College is on South Hill across the valley. Downtown, the Ithaca Commons and the Collegetown district near Cornell are easy to explore on foot.