How Does Transfer GPA Differ Between Accredited and Non-Accredited Colleges?

I'm curious about the impact of transferring from an accredited versus a non-accredited school on my GPA. Does anyone have experience or advice on how this might affect college admissions or my academic record?

Transferring from an accredited versus a non-accredited college can indeed influence your academic record, particularly your GPA, in a couple of significant ways.

First, it's important to understand that accredited schools are recognized by a governmental or quasi-governmental organizational body as meeting certain quality standards. Attending an accredited institution shows that your coursework meets the academic standards that most colleges and universities recognize.

When you apply to transfer, many schools will only accept credits from accredited institutions, which means credits earned at a non-accredited school may not transfer over. If your credits are not accepted, you may have to retake classes, potentially affecting your time to graduation.

When it comes to your GPA, schools generally calculate your transfer GPA based on the grades of the courses that transfer over. If you're moving from an accredited college, your grades from that institution, good or bad, will almost certainly play a role in determining your starting GPA at your new school.

On the other hand, if you're transferring from a non-accredited college, it's quite possible that your new school won't accept your credits, or won't include the grades from your previous school in their calculation of your GPA. This might seem like a bonus if you didn't do so well at your previous school, but keep in mind that this could also mean starting over from scratch with no credits towards your degree.

Also, transferring to an accredited institution from a non-accredited one might present challenges in the admissions process itself. Accredited schools often view courses and grades from non-accredited institutions with skepticism because they can't guarantee that these courses meet their academic standards. Consequently, they usually give preference to applicants transferring from accredited institutions.

So to summarize: To maximize your chances in the admissions process and ensure that your earned credits and GPA carry over to a new institution, it's generally best to attend an accredited college whenever possible.