Leading NYC Think Tank Points to Baruch Business Academy as a Model for Transfer Student Success

New report from Center for an Urban Future highlights streamlined admissions process, networking and internship opportunities as pillars of the program

April 3, 2024

A new report from leading New York City-based think tank Center for an Urban Future (CUF) spotlights the Baruch College Business Academy as a standout example of how to enhance transfer student success within The City University of New York (CUNY) system.

Titled Boosting Transfer Student Success at CUNY, the report underscores the critical challenges transfer students encounter in their quest for a bachelor’s degree, especially moving from two-year to four-year institutions. The study is part of CUF’s ongoing interest in and engagement with CUNY as an engine of socioeconomic advancement in New York City.

Key Insights from the Report

While the extensive report cites numerous barriers facing transfer students—such as loss of credits—the report showcases various CUNY initiatives, which have collectively raised transfer student graduation rates by 30 percent since 2012. Among these programs, the report points to Baruch’s Business Academy, which is housed in the Zicklin School of Business, as a promising example of success.

Baruch’s Proven Pathway to Success

Launched in 2021 with an initial cohort of 25 students, the Baruch Business Academy has rapidly expanded to support more than 350 students across four partner institutions: Borough of Manhattan Community College, Queensborough Community College, LaGuardia Community College, and Guttman Community College.

The Academy, which creates a transparent, predictable, path for students to transition from partner CUNY Community Colleges to Baruch, is designed to provide holistic support and access to robust resources at both colleges to ensure students’ academic and career success.

CUF emphasized the Academy’s focus on providing networking and internship opportunities in the report, noting: “One particularly promising aspect of the Baruch Business Academy is its commitment to ensuring that transfer students get access to the networking and internship experiences that are often decisive in securing career-track employment following graduation.”

This paired well with CUF’s estimation of Baruch as enjoying “one of the strongest academic reputations of any CUNY campus, with its Zicklin School of Business particularly esteemed as a talent source for some of New York City’s most prominent financial services firms.”

Further Reading

Boosting Transfer Success at CUNY was produced by David Fischer, Senior Fellow at CUF and is available on the organization’s website. To view the report’s recommendations, click here.

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