Navigating College Transfers: A Comprehensive Guide to Credit Acceptance and Requirements

Transferring colleges can be a strategic move for students seeking a better fit, specialized programs, or more affordable tuition. However, a successful transfer hinges on understanding how credits will be accepted at the new institution. This article provides a detailed overview of college transfer credit requirements, highlighting institutions known for their transfer-friendly policies and outlining key considerations for a smooth transition.

Understanding Transfer Credit Policies

Each college and university has its own policies regarding the acceptance of transfer credits. These policies dictate which courses are eligible for transfer, the minimum grades required, and the maximum number of credits that can be applied toward a degree. Understanding these nuances is crucial for prospective transfer students.

General Guidelines

Several general principles govern transfer credit evaluation:

Accreditation: Credits are typically only accepted from institutions accredited by a regional accreditation association.
Minimum Grade: A minimum grade, usually a "C" (2.000 on a 4.000 scale), is required for a course to be eligible for transfer. Courses graded on a pass/fail basis may be accepted if the "Pass" grade is equivalent to a "C."
Course Content: The content, level, and prerequisites of the transferred course must be comparable to a course offered at the receiving institution.
Duplication: Credits will not be awarded for courses that duplicate previously earned credits.

Credit Evaluation

Transfer credit equivalency is often evaluated by academic departments in consultation with the Office of the Registrar. Credit can be evaluated in three ways:

Equivalent: The course is deemed equivalent to a specific course in the college's catalog.
Elective: The course fulfills elective requirements but does not directly correspond to a specific course.
Not Applicable: The course does not meet the college's standards for transfer credit.

Maximum Transfer Credits

Colleges typically set a limit on the number of transfer credits they will accept. For example, the College of Charleston accepts a maximum of 90 credit hours for A.B., B.A., B.G.S., or B.S. degrees, including credits earned through Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. The maximum for a B.P.S. degree at the same college is 87 credit hours. Some institutions also limit the number of credits that can be transferred from two-year colleges. For instance, College of Charleston accepts a maximum of 66 hours of transfer credit earned at a two-year institution for students admitted or readmitted fall 2020 forward, and 60 hours for students admitted before fall 2020.

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Declining Transfer Credit

In some cases, students may choose to decline transfer credit, especially if they want to take a course at another institution without exceeding the maximum allowable transfer credits. The College of Charleston allows students to decline transfer credit for courses taken Fall 2015 forward.

Non-Traditional Credit

Most colleges do not award transfer credit for:

Life experience
Work experience gained prior to admission
Non-credit bearing coursework completed toward a professional certificate
Graduate or doctoral level coursework for undergraduate credit

Study Abroad Credit

Credit earned while studying abroad at a partner university or organization typically appears on a student’s transcript as transfer credit.

Transfer-Friendly Colleges and Universities

While most colleges accept transfer students, some institutions have implemented specific programs and policies to ease the transition process. Here are a few examples:

Saint Louis University: Saint Louis University has very few restrictions on their transfer students. They don’t have any minimum credit requirements to transfer, accept an unlimited number of credits from 4-year colleges and universities, and only require students to earn 30 credits at SLU to earn a degree. If you’ve earned more than 24 college credit hours at your previous institution, you don’t need to worry about sending your high school transcript or standardized test scores, either. To review credit transfer outcomes, students must first submit an application but will hear from SLU in about a month regarding what will transfer over. Students accepted as transfers have their own orientation process, a class to help them adjust to life at SLU, scholarships just for them, and dedicated transfer student mentors via their TRANSFERmation program.
Clemson University: Clemson University offers Transfer Connections, which pairs new transfer students with established transfer students. Students are also required to attend a special transfer orientation.
American University: American University has a special orientation program for its transfer students, as well as a transfer success series that offers workshops in careers and internships, utilizing campus resources, time management, and more. While transfer students aren’t guaranteed housing, they are provided on a space-available basis that gives preference to students transferring 36 credits or less. Their Transfer Transitions program supports the transition.
University of Washington: For students interested in the transfer program, UW hosts Transfer Thursday sessions. Students can participate in Transfer First-Year Interest Groups, known as T-FIGs, which are peer-guided seminar courses that small groups of transfer students take together. UW also maintains a Commuter and Transfer Commons and offers Transfer Students United to support a successful transition.
University at Buffalo: The University at Buffalo welcomes more than 2,000 transfer students each year and gives them the tools they need to succeed. TAURUS, the Transfer Articulation and University Requirements at UB System, allows students to plug in all of their previously earned credits to see what transfers. UB also has special programs just for transfer students, including the Transfer Student Honors Society and the Advanced Honors Program.
University of Utah: The University of Utah lays out their 3-step process to make completion of applications easier, and students can track the progress of their application. With 25% of their entire student body made up of transfer students, the University of Utah is well-versed on handling transfer credits. They offer a comprehensive breakdown on understanding degree audits, which are used to determine when a student will graduate, as well as a “what-if” feature so you can fiddle around with different majors.
University of North Texas: The University of North Texas has a very helpful transfer program, including for students who don’t quite qualify yet. For students who don’t have 30 credit hours, they can qualify for TAP, which offers personalized assistance from an assigned Transfer Counselor. They’ll help students choose classes at a community college that will qualify for transfer. Transfer counselors are, of course, also there to assist qualified transfer students. Students transferring from regional community colleges should look into the Eagle Bound program, which could make the transfer process seamless. UNT offers an online credit audit system, as well as scholarships specifically for transfer students.
University of South Florida: More than 50% of their student body is composed of transfer students. USF offers scholarships specifically for transfer students, holds a special orientation, and is home to an Office of Transfer Student Success, where advisors can answer pre-transfer questions and even do preliminary credit reviews.
Portland State University: Monthly, Portland State University hosts Transfer Open Houses. They have Transfer and Returning Student Advisors to connect to, who offer transfer planning and unofficial course reviews. Transfer applicants do not have to submit standardized test scores. PSU will also holistically review applicants who don’t meet the minimum GPA. More than 90% of transfer applicants are accepted, and the student body is made of 15% transfer students, so you’ll be in good company!

Specific College Transfer Information

College of Charleston

The College of Charleston welcomes transfer students and offers assistance with transcript evaluation. Here's what transfer students should know:

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Transcript Requirements: A final transcript is required from each college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or courses completed.
Credit Evaluation: Transfer credit equivalency is evaluated by the academic departments in consultation with the Office of the Registrar.
Coursework Age: Coursework completed more than ten (10) years ago may be subject to an additional review to determine if transfer credit will be awarded.
Adjustments to Academic Records: The College of Charleston reserves the right to adjust academic records if the transfer credit does not comply with their policies and regulations.
GPA: Grades do not transfer, only credits; therefore, new transfer students will enter the College of Charleston without a grade point average (GPA).

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Quarter Hours to Semester Hours Conversion: The College of Charleston is on a semester system. Use this table to determine semester hour equivalent of courses taken from a quarter hour system school:
Quarter Hours Semester Hours
6 4
4 3
3 2
2 1
1 1
NOTE: College of Charleston rounds half credit hours up to the next whole number. (For example, a half credit from another school would equal one credit hour at College of Charleston.)
Degree Works: Students offered admission to the College of Charleston may use Degree Works to view an updated list of awarded and pending transfer credit.
South Carolina Associate Degree Transfer Guarantee: Earning an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from a public, two-year institution of higher learning in South Carolina guarantees a minimum of 60 transfer credit hours and junior status at the College of Charleston.
Military Training Credit: The College of Charleston awards transfer credit to undergraduate military students in recognition of their military training. Students who started at the College of Charleston beginning Spring 2020 may earn up to 30 transfer credit hours from their Joint Services Transcript. Beginning Fall 2024, students who enroll at the College of Charleston are eligible for up to 66 credit hours.

Quarter Hours	Semester Hours
6	4
4	3
3	2
2	1
1	1

Oregon State University

Oregon State University (OSU) operates on a quarter system, with four 10-week quarters each year. Here are key transfer pathways to OSU:

Quarter vs. Semester Credits: Semesters are 15 weeks in length and semester credits are worth 1.5 quarter credits. A 3 semester credit class is equivalent to 4.5 quarter credits.
Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) Degree: Completion of an AAOT ensures completion of all lower division Foundational Core requirements and junior standing for registration.
Associate of Science Oregon Transfer Degree- Business (ASOT- B) or Computer Science (ASOT- CS): Completion ensures completion of all lower division Foundational Core requirements and junior standing for registration purposes.
Associate of Science (AS) Degree (Linn-Benton Community College): An AS degree awarded after March 2001 ensures completion of all lower division Foundational Core requirements at OSU.
Core Transfer Maps (CTM): These maps guide students in course selection for STEM or non-STEM fields and meet all Foundational Core Requirements except for the Difference, Power, and Oppression: Foundations course requirement.
Major Transfer Maps (MTM): A course plan for a major that allows students to transfer credits from any Oregon community college to any Oregon public university and count all credits toward a bachelor’s degree in that specific major.
Oregon Transfer Module (OTM): A group of general education courses equal to about one year of college.
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC): OSU accepts the IGETC to satisfy the Foundational Core requirements and junior standing for registration purposes.
Direct Transfer Associate (DTA) Degree (Washington): A DTA degree awarded by regionally accredited community colleges in Washington will allow junior standing for registration purposes and fulfill all lower division requirements in OSU's Foundational Core except for the Difference, Power, and Oppression: Foundations course requirement.
Degree Partnership Program (DPP): Allows undergraduate students to be dually enrolled at both Oregon State University and any of their community college partner schools.

Key Considerations for Transfer Students

Research: Thoroughly research the transfer credit policies of your target institutions.
Communication: Contact the admissions office or transfer advisors at the colleges you're interested in to discuss your specific situation and get preliminary credit evaluations.
Course Selection: Choose courses at your current institution that are likely to transfer based on the receiving institution's requirements.
Transcripts: Request official transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
Deadlines: Be aware of application deadlines, which may differ for transfer students.
Orientation: Attend transfer student orientations to learn about campus resources and connect with other transfer students.
GPA Requirements: Be mindful of the minimum GPA requirements for transfer admission, such as the University of South Florida's 3.2 GPA requirement for nursing majors.
Utilize Available Resources: Take advantage of resources like the Transfer Articulation and University Requirements at UB System (TAURUS) at the University at Buffalo, or the online credit audit system at the University of North Texas.

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