Do community college courses transfer easily to CSU?

Hey! I'm considering the transfer path to a CSU. Can anyone share their experience about how community college credits transfer? Are there specific resources to check what transfers?

Yes, credits from California community colleges transfer quite smoothly to California State University (CSU) schools because they have a system in place to guarantee the transfer of a certain number of credits. The key is to be intentional about the courses you take at your community college, ensuring they align with the CSU general education requirements or with the requirements of your intended major.

A resource you could utilize is ASSIST, the official repository of articulation for California’s public colleges and universities. It provides information about how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. These lists are called articulation agreements, and you can look them up for your particular community college and the CSU campus you want to transfer to. It's a very useful tool to help you plan your coursework strategically.

In addition to ASSIST, the IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) is a helpful guide. This is a series of courses that community college students can take to satisfy lower division general education (GE) requirements at any CSU or University of California (UC) campus.

Lastly, there's also the option of an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). These are designed to provide a clear pathway to a CSU major and ensure that community college students are fully prepared to transfer into a CSU program in a similar major. If you complete an ADT, you're guaranteed admission to a CSU. However, admission is not guaranteed to a specific campus or major.

Keep in mind that while most community college courses are designed to be equivalent to CSU courses and therefore are transferable, it's essential to meet with an academic counselor to ensure you're on the right track.