Transfer from Community College to Cal State: What are the options?

I'm considering starting at a community college and transferring to a Cal State school later, like San Bernardino or San Marcos. What are the transfer requirements and how tough is it to move between these schools?

Transferring from a community college to a Cal State school can be a strategic and cost-effective route to earning your bachelor’s degree. Cal State is known for having well-established transfer pathways and support services.

To transfer, one of the primary requirements is to complete at least 60 units of transferable coursework at the community college level. Usually, this amounts to approximately two years of full-time college coursework. Your courses should meet general education requirements and be relevant to your intended major.

The minimum GPA requirement for California residents is 2.0, but for non-residents it's 2.4. However, certain impacted majors or campuses may require a higher GPA. It's worth noting that highly competitive programs may have additional criteria, and your chances of admission generally improve with a higher GPA.

Utilize resources like the transfer admission planner (TAP) or ASSIST.org, to understand which courses at your community college match the requirements of the Cal State campuses and majors you are considering. Each Cal State university can have slightly different requirements, so it’s worth attending academic advising sessions at your community college that often bring in university representatives to answer specific questions.

California community college students can also take advantage of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program, a degree program at California community colleges that guarantees specific CSU campuses if a certain GPA is met. The program requires students to complete 60 units of a "transfer AA" degree to be automatically eligible to transfer as a junior to the CSU system.

Keep in mind that final admission decisions are often based on the completion and verification of all planned coursework as you listed in your application. That said, it's absolutely vital to stay on top of any updates or changes in your original plan and to communicate these to the college you're planning to transfer to.

Successfully transferring from a community college to a Cal State school requires careful planning and taking advantage of the resources available. Many students have successfully taken this path and you can too. Good luck!