CESS may refer to:

• Central Eurasian Studies Society, a North American–based society for scholars concerned with the Central Eurasian region

• Centre for Earth Science Studies, an autonomous research centre to promote and establish scientific and technological research and development studies in the earth sciences, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

• Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad

• Education cess, in India, a tax earmarked to promote education.

• Cess, a tax