What happens to your credits when you change colleges
When you transfer to a new college, your credits do not automatically count toward your degree. The new school reviews your transcript, decides which credits it will accept, and converts them into its own credit system. Some credits transfer fully, some transfer as electives with no specific requirement attached, some transfer with reduced value, and some do not transfer at all. The decision rests entirely with the receiving college — not with your original school, not with any accrediting body, and not with you.
The receiving college's registrar's office makes this decision using its own transfer policies. Those policies vary widely. A course that counts as a core requirement at your current school might count as an elective at the new one. A four-credit course might become three credits. A course in a subject you completed might not transfer because the new school does not offer that major. Understanding how your specific credits will transfer before you enroll is the only way to avoid losing time and money.
Key Takeaways
- The receiving college's registrar decides which credits transfer, using that school's own policies — not a national standard.
- You can request a preliminary evaluation of your transcript before you enroll, and most schools provide this for free.
- Credits that transfer may not satisfy the same requirements at the new school, so a completed general education course might become an elective.
- Articulation agreements between two specific schools may provide how credits will transfer, and you should search for one before choosing where to transfer.
- Community college credits transfer more reliably to public universities in the same state than to private colleges or out-of-state schools.
How to get a preliminary evaluation before you transfer
Before you commit to a new school, send your transcript to its admissions office and ask for a transfer credit evaluation. This is a document that shows, course by course, which of your credits the school will accept and what requirement each one satisfies. Most colleges perform this evaluation at no cost and return it within two to four weeks. Some offer it online through a portal where you upload your transcript yourself.
Request the evaluation from the receiving school's registrar or transfer admissions office — not from your current school. You will need an official transcript from your current college, which you can order through your school's registrar website. Many schools now issue official transcripts electronically, which speeds up the process. Once the new school receives it, ask for the evaluation in writing so you have a record of what was promised before you enroll.
Read the evaluation carefully. Look for courses marked as "not transferable," courses that transfer but do not count toward your major, and courses that transfer with reduced credit hours. Ask the registrar to explain any surprises. If a course you expected to transfer does not, ask whether retaking it at the new school or taking a different course would satisfy the requirement instead.
Articulation agreements: the fastest path to predictable transfers
An articulation agreement is a contract between two specific colleges that guarantees how credits will transfer between them. If your current school has an articulation agreement with the school you want to attend, you know exactly which of your courses will transfer and what they will count for. No surprises, no negotiation, no waiting for an evaluation.
Articulation agreements are most common between community colleges and public universities in the same state. For example, many states have formal agreements that allow any community college student who completes a specific general education package to transfer to any public university in that state with full credit for those courses. Search for articulation agreements by visiting the receiving school's website and looking for "transfer agreements," "articulation agreements," or "community college partnerships." You can also call the registrar and ask directly whether an agreement exists with your current school.
If an articulation agreement exists, get a copy before you enroll at the new school. The agreement should list the courses you need to complete and confirm what they will count for at the receiving school. If no agreement exists, you will rely on the school's general transfer policies, which are more flexible but also less predictable.
Understanding your new school's transfer credit policies
Every college publishes transfer policies that explain how it evaluates credits from other schools. These policies typically address minimum grades, course age, accreditation of the sending school, and how credits map to the receiving school's requirements. Read your new school's policy before you transfer so you understand what will and will not transfer.
Most colleges require that you earned a grade of C or higher in a course for it to transfer. Some require a B or higher for courses in your major. Some schools will not accept credits more than five or ten years old, though this rule is becoming less common. The receiving school must be accredited by a recognized accrediting body — credits from unaccredited schools rarely transfer anywhere.
The most important part of the policy is how the school handles course equivalencies. Some schools use a detailed equivalency guide that lists your school's courses alongside the receiving school's courses and shows exactly which ones match. Others evaluate each course individually based on the syllabus and course description. If your new school uses individual evaluation, request the evaluation early so you have time to address any problems before you enroll.
What to do if credits do not transfer as expected
If the preliminary evaluation shows that credits you expected to transfer do not, you have several options. First, ask the registrar why the course did not transfer. The reason might be that the course content does not match the receiving school's requirements, the course is too old, or the sending school is not regionally accredited. Understanding the reason helps you decide what to do next.
If the reason is a content mismatch, ask whether you can submit the course syllabus or course description for reconsideration. Some registrars will reverse a decision if they see that the course actually does cover the material they thought it did not. If the reason is age, ask whether there is a waiver process. If the reason is accreditation, there is usually no solution — you cannot transfer credits from an unaccredited school to most accredited colleges.
If a course will not transfer at all, ask whether you can retake it at the new school or take a different course that satisfies the same requirement. Some students find that retaking a course is faster than fighting for transfer credit, especially if the course is a prerequisite for other classes in their major.
How credits transfer between different types of schools
Transfer patterns vary depending on where you are coming from and where you are going. Community college credits transfer most reliably to public universities in the same state, especially if an articulation agreement exists. Credits transfer less reliably when you move between states, from a community college to a private college, or from a four-year college to another four-year college.
If you are transferring from a community college to a public university in your state, start by checking whether your state has a statewide transfer agreement. Many states have formal systems that may provide transfer of general education credits. If you are transferring to a private college or out of state, expect a more detailed evaluation and potentially more credits to be rejected. Private colleges often have stricter transfer policies than public universities.
If you are transferring between four-year colleges, the process is similar to community college transfer, but the receiving school may be more selective about which upper-level courses it accepts. A course you took as an elective might not transfer if the receiving school's program is structured differently. Request the evaluation early and be prepared to retake some courses.
Timing your transfer to minimize lost credits
The time you transfer matters. If you transfer after completing general education requirements, those courses are more likely to transfer because they are standardized across schools. If you transfer mid-major, you risk having upper-level courses rejected because the receiving school's program structure is different.
Many students transfer after completing an associate degree at a community college, which is designed specifically to transfer to a four-year college. If you are at a four-year college and considering transferring, try to do so before you take many upper-level courses in your major. Once you have completed major-specific coursework, the receiving school may not accept all of it, and you could end up repeating work.
Get the preliminary evaluation as early as possible — ideally before you submit your process to the new school. This gives you time to adjust your course selection at your current school if needed. If you know certain courses will not transfer, you might choose to take different courses instead, or you might decide that the transfer is not worth the lost credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my GPA transfer to the new school?
No. The new school will see your grades on your transcript, but it calculates its own GPA based only on courses you complete there. Your GPA at the old school does not carry over. This is one reason some students choose to transfer — a fresh GPA calculation at the new school.
What if I took a course pass/fail at my current school?
Pass/fail courses transfer less reliably than letter-grade courses because the receiving school cannot see your actual performance. Some schools will not accept pass/fail credits at all. Ask the receiving school's registrar about its policy before you take a course pass/fail if you think you might transfer.
Can I transfer credits from an online college?
Yes, if the online college is regionally accredited. Receiving schools treat online credits the same as in-person credits from accredited schools. Unaccredited online colleges are a different story — their credits rarely transfer anywhere. Check the sending school's accreditation before you enroll.
How many credits can I transfer?
Most four-year colleges accept between 60 and 90 transfer credits, which typically covers general education and some electives but requires you to complete upper-level major courses at the receiving school. Some schools cap transfer credits at a specific number; others allow more if you have completed an associate degree. Check the receiving school's policy for its limit.
What if the receiving school rejects most of my credits?
Request a detailed explanation from the registrar for each rejected course. If the reasons are content-related, ask about resubmitting with a syllabus. If the reasons are policy-related (age, accreditation, grade), ask whether exceptions or waivers exist. If the school will not budge, you may decide that transferring there costs too much in lost credits and choose a different school instead.