7 steps to transferring college credits

56% of students transferring into a four-year university come from a two-year institution. 

Nationally, nearly two-thirds of community college students who transfer to a four-year institution earn a bachelor’s degree within six years.

Transfer students are common! Approximately 1.2 million undergraduate students in 2021 brought college transfer credits with them.

Get familiar with your school’s transfer policies.

All schools publish their policies regarding how many and which transfer credits they’ll accept, with the standard ranging between 15 and 90 credits. Picking a “transfer-friendly” school can help you save time and money.

Request your unofficial transcript(s).

Contact the registrar at every school you’ve attended to request your transcript(s). Having a record of which courses you’ve successfully completed will help you identify which college credit you can potentially transfer to your new school. 

Know that all credits are not created equal.

Some colleges operate on a quarter system, others on a semester system — and they are not always equivalent. This discrepancy doesn’t account for other potential credit, either. (Hello, military experience or CLEP exam credit!) So, don’t expect an easy one-to-one transfer for all of your college credits.

Look for transfer opportunities in general education requirements.

General education requirements are the most common area where transfer credits apply, although some credits may occasionally transfer to core programs or majors. 

Check with your new school.

Make an appointment to speak with an enrollment or admissions representative at your new school to ensure you get the credit you qualify for.

Make it official.

Your new school will need official transcripts from all institutions you’ve previously attended in order to review and award college transfer credit. Be aware that a minimal fee may be associated with these transcript requests.

Be realistic.

It is possible that not all of your credits will transfer. In fact, students lose an average of 13 credits when transferring schools. This can be frustrating, but it’s more incentive to find a transfer-friendly school where you can get the most credit for the work you’ve done.

The 3+1 transfer pathway allows students to earn three years of general course requirements at a participating community college and then apply those credits toward a bachelor’s degree at UOPX, which they can complete in just over a year.

The Transfer Scholarship of up to $3,000 is available to new qualifying students pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

UOPX accepts credits from more than 5,000 institutions.