Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship is No. 1
Bauer Entrepreneurship Program Ranked No. 1
for Sixth Year in a Row
The Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship in the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston (UH) once again has been named the best entrepreneurship program for undergraduate students in the United States, according to recently released 2025 Princeton Review rankings.
This is the sixth consecutive year the Wolff Center has been named No. 1 in the annual ranking, but it has earned the prestigious title a total of nine times, and has been ranked No. 1, or No. 2, 16 of the last 18 years. It’s an honor the program’s namesake, Cyvia Wolff, said is extraordinary for students all around the University of Houston.
“What I love is the entrepreneur program is spanning the whole campus,” Wolff said. “I am so proud of how the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship has grown and how it’s learned from its mistakes. It’s just gotten better and better and better.”
The Bauer program consistently places ahead of such prestigious schools as the University of Texas and Babson College (second and third in last year’s ranking), but Wolff Center Executive Director Dave Cook said its success is never taken for granted.
“We’re grateful and appreciative for The Princeton Review ranking, which is in large part a reflection of tremendous community support,” Cook said. “We are blessed to be in a city filled with entrepreneurs, where the wildcat spirit still is alive and well. We’re able to tap into that energy when we bring in professors, when we bring in mentors, when we bring in class speakers.”
UH President Renu Khator praised the ranking as a fitting recognition of a program that delivers transformative education and practical business experience to its students.
"This program is a tremendous asset not only to the University of Houston and the Bauer College of Business, but also to the city of Houston, where entrepreneurship fuels both socioeconomic mobility and economic growth," Khator said. "We are proud to see the impact of this program reverberate throughout our community."
Khator continued, "Holding the No. 1 ranking for the sixth consecutive year speaks volumes about the commitment and excellence of our students, faculty and staff. It also reflects the power of generous support from the Wolff family and other donors who believe in our vision. We are deeply grateful for their invaluable contributions that make this success possible."
Bauer College Interim Dean Praveen Kumar said the ranking befits an outstanding program that provides life-transforming education and business experience for students.
“It is a great asset not only for the Bauer College of Business and the University of Houston, but also for the city of Houston, because entrepreneurship is central to socioeconomic mobility and economic growth,” said Kumar, Cullen Distinguished University Chair and Professor of Finance.
He added: “This remarkable achievement of a No. 1 rank for the sixth year in a row is a testament to the dedication and talents of the students, faculty, and staff of the Center. It is, as well, a testament to the beneficial effects of generous donations and financial support of the Wolff family and other benefactors of the Center.”
The Princeton Review’s annual ranking of nearly 300 U.S. business schools with entrepreneurship programs evaluates approximately 40 data points, including career outcomes, business success and experiential opportunities. The most significant measure of success is the number of businesses that are created. Wolff Center alumni have created more than 2,000 businesses in the last 10 years, and more than 4,000 UH students take entrepreneurship classes. More than 630 mentors from the business community contribute hours and expertise, ensuring students have support as they work to create viable businesses.
The Wolff Center was established in 1991 with an elite cohort of 30 to 40 students who create businesses under the guidance of seasoned mentors. Core values woven into the experiential curriculum infuse a myriad of entrepreneurship education options now available at UH.
Students from 95 majors attend Wolff Center classes and programs, and Bauer College offers certificate, undergraduate and graduate level entrepreneurship degree programs. The Wayne B. Duddlesten Free Enterprise Institute, established at Bauer in 2024, provides would-be business owners with website-building resources, legal services and other tools they need to get an idea from concept to market.
A Founders’ Club with student-led roundtables brings in speakers from specialized fields, sowing a synergistic community that supports entrepreneurship endeavors. Bauer’s RED Labs Summer Accelerator breathes life into start-ups and their stakeholders.
UH students also benefit from the Wolff Center’s outreach to would-be entrepreneurs in the larger community as they interact with and teach high school students attending summer entrepreneurship camps in the Rio Grande Valley, or do research and coach women in EWOP (Empowering Women Out of Prison).
The funding of such programs, not to mention numerous pitch competitions, scholarships and other endeavors designed to instill an entrepreneurial ethos into all corners of the campus, relies on supporters who ultimately believe in the Wolff Center program’s ability to change lives, Cook said.
“There are things that go beyond money and profit and business,” he said. “Do you know your values? Do you have dreams? Do you have a vision for your life? And can we set goals to get you there?”
Cook added: “That is the crux of our program. We’re not just producing good business leaders, we’re producing good people, good citizens. It’s an investment our donors believe in, and we do our best to honor.”
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