Quinnipiac Partners With Bellarmine to Expand Degree Pathways

Quinnipiac Partners With Bellarmine to Expand Degree Pathways

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Fairfield Bellarmine students can now transition to Quinnipiac University to complete their bachelor’s degrees following a new transfer partnership.

This agreement expands the available academic routes for local learners, connecting the Fairfield institution to a wider array of specialized degree programs.

The move comes as Fairfield Bellarmine reports significantly higher student success rates than many regional alternatives. While Connecticut community colleges currently maintain a three-year graduation rate under 20 percent, Fairfield Bellarmine has delivered a 77 percent two-year graduate rate. Furthermore, 92 percent of the school’s students eventually transition into a four-year college or university program.

“Every student deserves the support to finish what they started in higher education,” said Thomas Ellet, chief experience officer at Quinnipiac University.

“Institutions like ours have a responsibility to the communities where we reside, and this partnership creates a connected pathway for local students to continue from Bellarmine to a bachelor’s degree at Quinnipiac,” Ellet said, according to a report from Fairfield University.

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The partnership provides students with access to eight distinct bachelor’s degree pathways. Beyond the new addition of Quinnipiac University, students can choose to transfer to Fairfield University, Albertus Magnus College, Georgetown University, Loyola University New Orleans, Regis College, University of Bridgeport, or Williams College.

Quinnipiac University, located 90 minutes north of New York City, offers more than 100 degree programs. These are distributed across several specialized schools, including Business, Communications, Education, Computing and Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Nursing, and the College of Arts & Sciences. The university currently enrolls 9,800 students.

The institution has recently invested in its physical infrastructure to support these programs. This includes the completion of a new interdisciplinary science and innovation hub and a state-of-the-art School of Business on its main campus.

The partnership addresses a widening gap in educational persistence within the region. The contrast between the performance of Fairfield Bellarmine and traditional community college structures highlights the necessity of these structured transfer pipelines.

Institution Type Reported Completion/Transition Rate
Fairfield Bellarmine (Two-year graduate rate) 77%
Connecticut Community Colleges (Three-year rate) Under 20%
Fairfield Bellarmine (Four-year college transition) 92%

This summer, the program’s momentum was evidenced by the arrival of 80 new students into its Class of 2028 cohort.

The historical context of the Fairfield institution is rooted in its namesake. According to mission.lmu.edu, the school is dedicated to Saint Robert Bellarmine. The institution was founded in 1942, and its shield incorporates symbols such as the Jesuit crest and the coat of arms of the diocese of Hartford, Connecticut, where the university is situated.

Quinnipiac University currently holds a ranking of 51st in The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse “2026 Best Colleges in the U.S.” and is included in U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review’s “The Best 392 Colleges.”

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