Understanding Transfer Credit: What Will Actually Count Toward Your Degree?

By Monique Wells-Lopez, Ed.D.

If you completed courses at another college, you probably want to know how much of that work will count if you enroll somewhere else. The answer is not found in the total number of credits a college says it will accept.

A college first decides which courses it will accept for transfer. It then determines how those courses apply to the program you want to complete. A course can transfer without satisfying a requirement you still need.

Before choosing a college, you need to know what will transfer, where those credits will apply, and what you would have left to complete.

The Decision

How will your previous coursework apply to the degree or program you are considering now?

You may have credits from one college or several institutions. You may also have a transcript showing a substantial amount of completed coursework. That information tells you what you earned, but it does not tell you how another college will use it.

The number that matters is not only how many credits the college accepts. You also need to know how many accepted credits satisfy requirements in the program you want to complete.

How Transfer Credit Is Evaluated

A college generally requires transcripts from every institution you previously attended. It reviews each course under its own transfer policies.

Those policies may address minimum grades, course level, older coursework, the maximum number of transfer credits allowed, and how much coursework you must complete through the new institution. Academic programs may also have additional rules for major or specialized courses.

Some courses are easy to evaluate because the new college offers a clear equivalent. Others may need to be reviewed by an academic department. If the transcript or course description does not provide enough information, the college may ask for a syllabus or additional details about what the course covered.

Two colleges can review the same transcript and reach different decisions. Each institution has its own curriculum, transfer policies, and program requirements.

Transferability and Applicability Are Not the Same

Transferability asks whether the college will accept the course.

Applicability asks whether the accepted course satisfies a requirement in your degree or certificate program.

A course may be accepted as elective credit. If you still need electives, that course may move you closer to graduation. If your program already has all the elective credit it can use, the course may appear on the evaluation without reducing what you still need to complete.

That does not mean the college rejected the course. It means the course transferred but did not fill an open requirement.

This is why asking, “How many credits will you accept?” is not enough. You also need to know how those credits will apply to your program.

Your Program Can Change the Answer

The same transfer course can apply differently depending on the program you choose. A course that satisfies a requirement in one major may count only as an elective in another.

This matters if you are thinking about changing programs when you return. A different program may fit your current goals better, but it may also use your previous coursework differently.

Changing programs does not automatically erase your previous credits. It can, however, change where those credits fit and how many requirements you have left.

For more information, see Should You Finish Your Degree or Choose a Different Program?

What About Older Courses?

Older coursework does not automatically become unusable because time has passed. The courses and credits remain on your transcript, but a college may decide that an older course no longer meets a current program requirement.

This is more likely in fields where technology, professional standards, licensing requirements, or course content have changed. Some programs also have recency requirements for particular courses.

If you completed courses many years ago, ask how the college reviews older coursework instead of assuming the credits have expired.

For more information, see Can Old College Credits Expire?

Residency Requirements Still Apply

A college may accept a large amount of transfer credit and still require you to complete a certain number of credits through that institution before it awards the degree. This is commonly called a residency requirement. It refers to where the credit is earned, not where you live.

An academic program may also require certain major courses to be completed through the college awarding the degree.

Residency requirements can affect how much coursework you have left even when most of your previous credits are accepted. A high transfer-credit total does not automatically mean you will need only a few additional courses.

When Will You Receive the Evaluation?

The timing of the transfer-credit evaluation matters. Some colleges offer an unofficial or preliminary review before admission. Others do not complete the official evaluation until after you apply, are admitted, or submit all required transcripts.

A preliminary estimate may help you explore an option, but it is not the same as an official evaluation. Before making an enrollment decision, find out when the official review will be completed and what information it will include.

Without that information, you may not know how much of your previous coursework will apply or what you would still need to complete.

The Number of Credits Accepted Is Only the Beginning

A transfer-credit evaluation may show the total number of credits accepted, but that number does not provide the full answer.

Some credits may satisfy general education requirements. Others may apply to the major or count as electives. Some courses may still need additional review. The evaluation should also identify the requirements that remain after the accepted credits are applied.

This is where two colleges can produce very different outcomes. One college may accept more credits but apply several of them only as electives. Another may accept fewer credits but apply more of them directly to requirements you still need.

The college accepting the largest number of credits is not automatically the college that leaves you with the shortest or least expensive path to graduation.

For more information about why your total number of credits does not show how close you are to finishing, see How Close Are You to Finishing Your Degree?

Before You Decide

Do not make your decision based only on the number of credits a college says it will accept. You need to understand how those credits apply and what requirements remain.

Look at the realistic path from enrollment to completion. That includes the courses you would still need, residency requirements, prerequisites, course availability, the pace you can maintain, and the remaining cost of the program.

The transfer-credit evaluation provides the information. The decision depends on what that information means for your time, cost, and path to completing the degree.

Disclaimer

This article provides general educational information. Transfer-credit policies, course equivalencies, applicability decisions, minimum-grade requirements, residency requirements, program requirements, and reviews of older coursework vary by institution and academic program. Obtain an official evaluation and confirm current requirements directly with the institution before making an enrollment decision.