Admissions · Updated August 31, 2026
Transferring Universities: How Credit Evaluation Usually Works
Understand transfer applications, credit evaluation, articulation agreements, residency rules, and how to reduce lost credits.
Why credits do not transfer automatically
Transferring universities can be academically and financially sensible, but students should not assume that every completed course will count toward the new degree.
Course equivalency
The receiving institution controls the evaluation. It may consider the previous institution, course level, content, credit value, grade, date completed, and how the course fits the new curriculum.
Articulation agreements
Course equivalency matters. A transferred course might replace a specific requirement, satisfy a general category, or count only as an elective. Those outcomes have very different effects on time to graduation.
Major requirements
Articulation agreements can make transfer more predictable. They describe how courses or entire pathways move between participating institutions. Students should still confirm that the agreement applies to their program and entry year.
Residency rules
Major requirements can be stricter than general university transfer rules. Departments may limit how many advanced courses can be transferred or require certain core courses to be completed locally.
Plan before moving
Residency requirements may also require students to earn a minimum number of credits at the new institution. Before transferring, request a preliminary evaluation if available and compare the remaining degree requirements—not just the number of credits accepted.