SUNY Cobleskill was chartered by an act of the state legislature in 1911 and opened its doors as the Schoharie State School of Agriculture in 1916. It is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in New York State.
In 1917, a home economics division was added to the existing agriculture program. Programs developed in food service and hospitality administration, and in early childhood, to fulfill the rising need for specialized preparation in these fields.
From 1920 to 1931, SUNY Cobleskill offered a rural teacher training program, which was later transferred to the state's teachers colleges. In the early 1950's, the Business division evolved from the Agriculture division. Courses in Liberal Arts and Sciences have been offered since the college's founding in 1916.
Many changes have taken place in name, organization, instruction and academic programs as SUNY Cobleskill has evolved to meet the needs of an ever changing society and some of the world's most dynamic fields of study. When the State University of New York system was organized in 1948, SUNY Cobleskill was one of its original campuses, and, in 1966, was designated a State University Agricultural and Technological College. In 1987, we were renamed the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill.
In 1996, SUNY founded the Technology Colleges sector, linking SUNY Cobleskill with the system's other colleges of agriculture and technology, as well as several special technology colleges.
