Which Schools Are Transfer-Friendly?

Choosing which college to attend is a massive decision for students. It makes sense, then, that after matriculating, so many students rethink that decision.

Over 1.2 million college students transferred to new institutions in fall 2024, according to the National Clearinghouse Research Center. If your student is currently attending college but is seeking something different out of their college career, then they certainly are not alone.

For any student looking to transfer schools, one of the first steps is building that transfer college list. Beyond all the factors high school students consider when researching colleges (e.g., location, student life, academics, size, affordability), transfer students should additionally consider whether or not their colleges of interest are “transfer-friendly” institutions.

What makes a school “transfer-friendly”?

Typical “transfer-friendly” schools feature some or all of the following characteristics:

• Clear and generous transfer credit policies. Transparency in credit policy is critical for not only ensuring students have a smooth transition to their new institution upon transferring, but also helping them clearly understand how far their previous coursework will go in lowering time and cost required at the new institution before they even apply.

Ideally, transfer students won’t need to worry about having to “start over” from scratch at their new institution! The coursework they’ve already done should contribute to this next step of their college career.

A transfer-friendly school should also be generous with their credit policy, which can help transfer students take full advantage of the college credits they’ve already accumulated at their previous institution. Look for schools with higher maximum transferrable credit limits, and that allow students to get credit for both general degree and major-specific requirements, and don’t limit too many credits to count only as electives.

Some resources transfer-friendly schools may offer include: a clear transfer credit database; preliminary credit evaluation before matriculation; clear minimum grade/score requirements and maximum credit limit rules; or a course equivalency guide.

• Higher transfer acceptance rates and a large volume of transfer students. While admit rate data may be less readily available for many schools, a transfer acceptance rate that is significantly higher than a college’s first-year applicant acceptance rate is a good indicator of a transfer-friendly school. The same goes for institutions with a large proportion of transfer students in their student body.

These numbers usually align with a school’s institutional priority to welcome and bring in more transfer students. Nearly 30% of undergraduates in the University of California system, for example, are transfer students—a majority of which come from the California Community College (CCC) system, as both state law and UC policy mandate that CCC applicants are prioritized. (Note that six UC campuses are part of the TAG program, which guarantees admission to CCC students who meet campus-specific GPA requirements and complete enough UC-transferable course units; however, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC San Diego do not participate in TAG.)

• Transfer-specific advising and support. Transfer students navigate a more unique college career, and after transferring, often require specialized academic and counseling support that is not necessarily covered by a college’s standard academic advising office. Therefore, institutions with dedicated support for transfer students can be invaluable.

This support can include transfer-specific academic advising, transfer student orientation, transparent degree audits, peer mentorship programs, and more. Having these resources can help transfer students not only transition well both socially and academically into their new campus, but also avoid registration issues, quickly access campus resources after transferring, and optimize their college career moving forward.

List of transfer-friendly schools

Below is a non-exhaustive list of transfer-friendly institutions:

• Arizona State University

• Barnard College

• Boston University

• California State University (CSU) system

• Clemson University

• Columbia College

• Cornell University

• Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

• Emory University

• New York University (NYU)

• Northeastern University

• Ohio State University (OSU)

• Rutgers University-New Brunswick

• Santa Clara University

• Tufts University

• Tulane University

• University of California (UC) system

• University of Houston

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)

• University of Maryland College Park

• University of Michigan

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)

• University of Notre Dame

• University of South Florida

• University of Southern California (USC)

• University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Vanderbilt University

Looking for a second chance in your college career?

If your student is considering transferring schools, and is now facing the transfer admissions process, we can help! Through our Transfer Admissions Counseling program, our ILUMIN experts prepare students who are currently in community college or other four-year universities to successfully transfer to other four-year universities, complete their degree, and reach their goals.

Every transfer experience is unique. If you’re interested in learning more about how ILUMIN can tailor an individualized plan to help your student gain admission to the right university, feel free to book a free consultation with us.