Houston Daily

The Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston’s C. T. Bauer College of Business has been ranked as the top undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the country for the seventh consecutive year by The Princeton Review. This achievement marks a new record, surpassing its previous six-year streak.

The Princeton Review evaluates nearly 300 schools annually across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Programs are assessed based on factors such as student enrollment, alumni achievements, mentorship opportunities, and university support for student entrepreneurs.

Xianjun Geng, dean of Bauer College, commented on the ranking: “This unprecedented success — as this is the first time ever an undergraduate program has been ranked No. 1 in entrepreneurship seven times in a row — unequivocally speaks to the sustained excellence, at the highest level, of Wolff Center and Bauer education. This record-breaking ranking adds tremendously to our Bauer brand name as a top public business school in the nation and affirms University of Houston and the city of Houston as a top destination for entrepreneurship education and practice.”

In the 2024-25 academic year, 4,639 students participated in Wolff Center programs. Last year saw 89 majors enrolled and 52 entrepreneurship-related courses offered. The center involved 670 mentors during that period. Between 2015 and 2024, graduates launched more than 1,100 businesses. Over $1 billion was raised by participants to start their ventures in the past decade, with more than $25 million received from donors.

Each year, about 30-35 students are selected for hands-on experience and mentorship through the Wolff Center’s main cohort program. Dave Cook, executive director of the Wolff Center, said: “You come into this program with the expectation of not studying entrepreneurship but being an entrepreneur. Everything we do is real — your side hustle is real; your intellectual property is real.”

The center also offers minors and certificates open to all UH students and runs initiatives like RED Labs summer accelerator and pitch competitions to connect students with Houston’s entrepreneurial community.

UH President Renu Khator stated: “Entrepreneurs fuel job creation, innovations and community development, which makes this No.1 ranking so impactful. We’re not only graduating students from a prestigious program, we’re elevating the city, state and beyond, and I’m grateful to the Wolff and Duddlesten families for supporting our drive to excellence.”

Cook added that much of the center’s strength comes from its dedicated students, mentors focused on community impact, and committed donors: “It’s real, it's palpable — you can feel it and see it when you interact with our students and donors,” he said. “Everybody is elevated through the process of what the Wolff Center has done.”

Since its founding in 1991, many current students have started their own businesses while completing their studies:

Valeria Serenil co-founded Aztec Contractors: “Being in the program...We learn how we coach, lead and what type of leader we want to be. The Wolff Center creates the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders who will impact the community for the better.”

Isabella Mixon founded Isa matcha company: “The Wolff Center has taught me a lot about leadership...I want to inspire them [employees] and keep trusting them to do the right thing.”

Adam Jhaver created Brilliance Digital Services: “The reason behind Wolff being...the most successful entrepreneurship program in the country is the people...it's about being a person of integrity.”

Enrique Castillo started Rally with Rico coaching business: “Time management has been...the biggest lesson I’ve learned from the Wolff Center because we are always busy.”

Haley Salinas founded Soluna Studios media production company: “Houston has potential to be a powerhouse in terms of art...I hope my production company can help foster that growth.”

Daniel Gwynne established Truly Chill cold therapy business: “I got prescribed...medication...it just didn’t work for me....I started trying [cold therapy] and it had such a profound impact on me.”

Enrique Martinez created Bazaar clothing brand: “The perspective I bring...is that you can do more than one thing at a time....I have so many dreams....I can work on a lot of them at same time instead of just focusing on one.”

Program leaders review over 40 extracurricular offerings each year to maintain innovation within curriculum options. Enrollment in entrepreneurship courses grew by 41% over five years—from 3,290 students in 2021 to 4,639 in 2025.

“If you look at the Wolff Center and where it is this year,” Cook said,“it won’t be same next year....We're stretching that in every way we know how.”

Looking ahead, plans are underway for expansion into UH’s new $75 million Innovation Hub—a four-story facility expected to open near M.D. Anderson Library by fall 2027 after construction begins spring 2026. The building will include makerspace facilities; advanced science labs; Energy Transition Institute; Stimulating Urban Renewal Through Entrepreneurship (SURE) program; as well as housing for both SURE—which connects UH students with local entrepreneurs—and The Wolff Center itself.

Ramanan Krishnamoorti—UH vice president for energy & innovation—noted:“Our goal is to really spread culture of entrepreneurship across campus....That’s why location matters—it’s in middle of campus at intersection of everybody coming in.”