ALBANY — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced today a new direct admissions pathway that guarantees acceptance to select SUNY schools for high school students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class. The SUNY Top 10% Promise Program will begin with Fall 2025 enrollment.
“Access to higher education has the potential to transform New Yorkers’ lives and change the trajectory of a student’s life,” Governor Hochul said. “Offering New York students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class direct admission to SUNY campuses will help reduce barriers to higher education while ensuring our students can continue their education and pursue their dreams right here in New York State.”
Nine SUNY institutions will participate in the initial rollout: University at Albany, University at Buffalo, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Purchase College, and Stony Brook University.
For the program’s first year, 68 school districts and charter schools have been invited to participate, selected to represent rural, urban, and suburban communities with high levels of adversity or significant populations of students from low-income backgrounds. The program will eventually expand to include all New York State school districts.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. emphasized the program’s focus on expanding access. “There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and The SUNY Top 10% Promise will make it even easier for our highest-achieving high school students – particularly those from low-income backgrounds – to discover SUNY’s extraordinary value and academic excellence,” he said.
The initiative follows similar successful programs in Texas and California, where direct admission guarantees have increased enrollment of underrepresented students at selective universities, improved graduation rates, and led to higher post-graduation earnings.
This program builds on recent efforts to make higher education more accessible in New York. Earlier this month, the state reported that over 40,000 newly eligible students have applied for Tuition Assistance Program benefits following an increase in income thresholds. Additionally, SUNY, CUNY, and more than 50 private institutions are now offering free application opportunities for high school seniors.
Education advocates praised the initiative. Sean Miller, Northeast Regional Director at Young Invincibles, called it “a vital opportunity for promising students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, to enroll and thrive at SUNY campuses.” The program uses cumulative GPA as its metric, which is considered the most accurate measure of college preparedness.
Students must meet specific academic readiness criteria in addition to being in the top 10 percent of their class to qualify for the program. The initiative aims to address research showing that high-achieving, low-income students often apply to and attend less selective institutions compared to their higher-income peers with similar academic achievements.
For more information about the SUNY Top 10% Promise Program, students and families can contact their high school guidance counselors or visit the SUNY website.