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You're thinking about finally finishing your degree online--congratulations! This is a big step.
What about courses you've already taken at a community college? The good news is you can transfer those credits to most online colleges.
Some online colleges accept more transfer credit hours than others, though. Start by figuring out how many hours you have; next, learn which online colleges accept the maximum amount of credits and go from there.
If the online college offers a course similar to the one you took at a community college, chances are you'll get credit for that course.
Which Online Colleges Accept Maximum Transfer Credits?
Most online colleges accept around 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) toward a degree. Some accept even more than that.
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
UMGC is a fully accredited member of the University System of Maryland.
The online college accepts up to 90 transfer credit hours from any source, including community colleges, vocational, and military training.
UMGC offers bachelor's degrees in many popular majors, including business administration, psychology, and computer science.
Purdue Global
Purdue Global accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accreditation agency recognized by the US Department of Education.
This fully online university accepts up to 75% of the credit hours required for your degree as transfer credits.
For most degree programs, this equates to at least 90 semester credit hours.
You can also submit an experiential portfolio and gain additional credit toward your degree.
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
SNHU 100% online and offers 200+ career-focused degree programs, including business, technology, and healthcare.
The nonprofit university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
SNHU accepts up to 90 credit hours towards an undergraduate degree and offers a free credit evaluation when you apply.
Liberty University (LU Online)
Liberty University is a fully accredited university that also offers a fully online program.
Through the online program, you get the same degree as in-person LU students.
LU Online accepts up to 90 credit hours toward an undergraduate degree, which equates to 75% of your degree requirements.
Colorado Technical University (CTU Online)
CTU offers 80 degree-granting programs that are either fully online or hybrid programs.
The online university is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
You can transfer up to 75% of the credits required to complete your online degree from a community college.
Post University
Post University is licensed by the State of Connecticut and accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
The school offers more than 30 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs so you can easily find something that suits your needs.
Post University accepts up to 90 credit hours toward a bachelor's degree, as well as from work, military, and life experience.
Finding Out How Many Transfer Credits You Have
Get your community college transcripts so you know exactly which courses you've taken and when.
Accreditation
If your community college isn't nationally accredited, most online colleges won't accept the transfer credits.
Some online colleges may allow you to test out of courses that you've taken at non-accredited schools.
Overall GPA
Some online colleges will only look at transfer credits if you have an overall GPA of at least 2.5.
Course-Specific Grade
Most online colleges only accept transfer credits if you had a grade of 2.0 or better in the course.
Recency
Generally speaking, course credits never expire. At the same time, they may not be worth as much if they're from many years ago.
Science and tech course credits don't last as long because these fields change rapidly.
Courses you took to satisfy general education requirements tend to last a long time because these courses don't change a lot.
Credit for courses in a foreign language, history, literature, or humanities also tends to transfer pretty easily.
Relevance
Generally, you can only transfer credits that are necessary to complete your degree.
Course credits to satisfy general education requirements are your best bet for easy, fluid transfer from a community college.
For higher-level or specialty courses, be prepared to show what you learned in the course through syllabuses, tests, or assignments.
Comparing Your Community College Courses to Online College Courses
Take a look at the required and elective courses for the degree you want. Focus on the course titles that match those you've already taken.
Sometimes you can find a brief description of the course as well. This helps you figure out if the course you've taken is similar.
Even if a course has a different title, it might transfer if the substance of the course is similar.
Using Online Credit Transfer Tools
Online colleges offer transfer hour calculation tools on their websites. Take advantage of these to find out how you stack up.
Input your courses and the tool will tell you which credits will transfer over and how many hours your courses are worth.
If you're looking at several online colleges, use these tools to compare so you can choose the best value.
Other Types of Transfer Credit
- Military training credit: Many online colleges offer credit for military experience and training that aligns with your degree.
- Professional training credit: Receive credit for any professional certifications or licenses you already have.
- Vocational credit: Transfer a limited number of hours of hands-on technical experience toward a vocational or trade degree.
- Testing and portfolio credit: Take proficiency exams offered by the online college to test out of entry-level courses.
Working with Admissions to Transfer as Many Credits as Possible
Most online colleges assign you an enrollment advisor who works with you to get your credits transferred. Any information you can gather about your courses, such as syllabuses or assignments, will be helpful.
Your enrollment advisor's job is to transfer credits seamlessly, ensuring you get as much credit as possible for work you've already done.
Learn More about Transferring Community College Credits
If you or someone you care about is ready to finish their degree, our team is here to help.
Call our helpline today to get more information on transferring community college credits to an online degree program.
