The Better Neighbors Initiative launched in 2023 by Queens College in partnership with our Queens-based community college partners, LaGuardia Community College and Queensborough Community College. The leadership of our institutions joined forces in a concerted effort to ensure that the people of Queens and Long Island – the population we primarily serve – have a clear and supported pathway to a four-year degree.
A bachelor’s degree opens the door to secure and well-paying employment. A student’s time at the community college provides the essential foundation for their success. Students who start off at a community college often feel more supported as they ease into college life. We know from national data that obtaining a two-year degree at the community college, prior to transfer, is a critical milestone that is associated with successful completion of the four-year degree. We strongly encourage students to complete their two-year degree at the community college prior to transferring to Queens College.
Once students transfer to Queens College, we are committed to supporting them to feel welcome, successful, and engaged in both their studies and in the robust student life here on our beautiful 80-acre campus. In preparation, our dedicated staff at Queens College and at LaGuardia and Queensborough host joint transfer events every semester. These ensure that students at the community colleges feel like QC Knights from day one. And we have structured opportunities for our advising staff to work together across institutions to provide students with timely and accurate advisement.
In October of 2025, we launched the Queens College Transfer Hub. Check out the video of the opening ceremony!
Bussin’ it in Queens
We are proud to announce a brand-new new bus line – the Q 74 – connecting Queensborough Community College directly with Queens College. Given that so many Queens residents get around on public transportation, this is a particularly welcome development for our transfer student community.
We aim to be Better Neighbors in every way possible! Stay tuned for updates as the Better Neighbors Initiative rolls along. Here’s what’s in the works:
- We are expanding our neighborhood, to include Borough of Manhattan Community College and Nassau Community College
- Transfer Academies in STEM, Business, and Education are in development! Faculty and staff from our institutions are partnering to align curriculum, enable dual admissions to Queens College and our partner community colleges, and provide opportunities for transfer students to become familiar with our campus and ensure that they are taking the courses they need from the very beginning
- Our faculty are working together to increase the proportion of courses that transfer from the community college as course equivalencies in the major at Queens College
- QC Advisors-in-Residence will be stationed at partner community colleges to ensure consistent advisement to prospective Queens College Knights
- Professional staff are developing 2+2 career-infused transfer maps which will help students chart a clear and efficient pathway to their 4-year degree
We’d like to take a moment to thank our generous sponsors, who have provided unwavering commitment to the Better Neighbors Initiative:
- The City University of New York’s Transfer Initiative, working with academic departments across the system to identify course equivalencies and competencies to remove barriers and support the transfer journey across CUNY institutions.
- The Heckscher Foundation for Children’s support for enhancing course equivalencies and supporting a stronger cross-campus culture between Queensborough Community College and Queens College.
- The Aspen-AASCU Transfer Student Success Equity Initiative. Queens College partnered with LaGuardia and Queensborough and were accepted as one of only ten groups of transfer partners to be admitted to the national, highly competitive, year-long series of workshops supporting stronger transfer partnerships.
Take a moment to learn more about why YOU should transfer to Queens College!