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What are Transferable College Credits?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Transferable college credits are college course credits that can be transferred from one college to another. For example, if a person is working toward a college degree at one educational institution, he may decide to transfer to a new institution to finish earning a degree. If he can transfer the credits he's earned to the new degree program, they are referred to as transferable college credits. Whether or not credits are transferable typically depends on the rules of the college that would be accepting them.

The issue of transferable college credits often comes up when a student is transferring out of a community college program to an educational program at a four-year college. Often, individuals in this situation have spent two years on their education and want to have the credits they’ve earned counted toward earning a bachelor’s degree. Likewise, a student may transfer from one four-year college to another and want to take his credits with him. In fact, a student may even need to transfer college credits when he is leaving one community college and beginning his education at another community college.

Some college credits are transferable between certain institutions.
Some college credits are transferable between certain institutions.

The new school's acceptance of transferable college credits is usually not automatic. The new school has the right to refuse to count a student’s credits toward its degree program. Often, however, a school will accept transfer credits if a student did well in the class and the new institution has a similar course. Some colleges have policies that state they won’t limit the number of credit’s students can transfer, but they may limit how many of those credits count toward their degree programs. This may help ensure that a transfer student obtains a reasonably significant portion of his education from the accepting college.

Academic counselors at community colleges often give advice on transferring academic credits.
Academic counselors at community colleges often give advice on transferring academic credits.

Sometimes community colleges create arrangements to help their students transfer credits to four-year institutions. In such a case, a four-year college may agree to accept all or most of the credits students earn at the community college with which it has the agreement. In many cases, however, this agreement is limited to particular degree programs.

The issue of transferring college credits often comes up when a student is transferring out of a community college program to an educational program at a four-year college.
The issue of transferring college credits often comes up when a student is transferring out of a community college program to an educational program at a four-year college.

While the accepting school has final say on whether or not it will accept a student’s transfer credits, there is a basic requirement most colleges apply. An accredited institution will likely require the transfer credit to come from another accredited institution. In some cases, colleges are also reluctant to accept transfer credits earned in upper-level courses.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Fiorite

@Babalaas- I was able to successfully transfer a year and a half worth of engineering credits into an alternative energy program. My adviser had told me that I would easily be able to transfer in my science credits, but my mathematics credits would be harder to transfer. I was able to transfer my calculus with analytical geometry credits and statistics credits, but I had to take a Math placement test to make sure that I had retained some of the knowledge. My credits were eight years old when I transferred them into my program.

One piece of advice I can give you is to study up on your mathematics before starting classes. I had to use the university tutor service for my first mathematics class since I had been back because I was not very sharp in the subject matter. As far as the science courses were concerned, I was fine. I did not forget much, and received a grade of A- on my first science course back.

Babalaas

How long are college credits transferable? I have been out of school for about ten years, and I would like to go back to school. I have two years of credits mostly in mathematics and the sciences. I am hoping to go back to school to pursue a degree in environmental science, but I am worried that I will not be able to transfer my credits. Does anyone have any experience transferring old science and math credits?

chicada

@GlassHouse- You two are some of the luckier ones. My sister learned the hard way that choosing a school is as important as the degree it grants. She chose to go to an online technology school. What she did not realize at the time is that the school is not accredited by any of the six regional accreditation boards, and her credits were unlikely to transfer.

She wanted out after finishing her two-year technical degree. Her plans were to try to finish a four-year degree at a school in state, but they said she had no transferable college courses. Now she sees the disclaimer at the bottom of the advertisement that states "credits not likely to transfer". These for profit institutions need more regulation in my opinion. I guess the message in all of this is to make sure the school you attend is accredited.

Glasshouse

@GenevaMech- Do not panic. My Fiancée and I went through the same thing. I graduated from University of Phoenix with a Business associates and my fiancée Graduated a year later with an associates in Education. We both transferred to a state school and had trouble transferring college credits. We transferred to ASU and they only had transfer agreements with local community colleges and some of the WUE institutions. To make matters worse, I transferred from a business program to a science program that has the highest admissions requirement at the school (I had previous engineering education).

We were able to transfer in almost all of our credits by the time we were finished with all of the busy work. We ended up having to collect the syllabus, course description, and table of contents from each of our courses in question. After collecting the information, we filed course equivalency forms with each individual department and were eventually able to transfer ALL of our credits into the university.

Some of my unnecessary business courses transferred in as electives and general requirements, but I did not lose any toward graduation. My fiancée transferred everything and went straight into the teacher certification program. Our persistence paid off and saved us from retaking 4 semesters collectively (it saved us $40,000). Do not give up.

GenevaMech

Help! I am having a mini crisis because my new school is not transferring all my college credits from my online associates. I spent almost two years working towards a business associates while being a single parent, and now I am losing about half of my credits. What can I do? The online school I am transferring from is accredited, but they are a for-profit school and I am transferring into a state school.

I really cannot afford to add another year of loans to my school debt for a business degree. It would be hard for me to land a job with a starting salary high enough to pay my loans and support my child.

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    • Some college credits are transferable between certain institutions.
      By: Sergey Nivens
      Some college credits are transferable between certain institutions.
    • Academic counselors at community colleges often give advice on transferring academic credits.
      By: micromonkey
      Academic counselors at community colleges often give advice on transferring academic credits.
    • The issue of transferring college credits often comes up when a student is transferring out of a community college program to an educational program at a four-year college.
      By: mimagephotos
      The issue of transferring college credits often comes up when a student is transferring out of a community college program to an educational program at a four-year college.
    • A student who is interested in music may choose to transfer from a community college to a more specialized institution.
      By: Riccardo Piccinini
      A student who is interested in music may choose to transfer from a community college to a more specialized institution.