Does college GPA transfer when switching colleges?

If I decide to transfer to a new college, will my GPA from my previous school carry over, or will I start fresh? I've heard different things and I'm not sure how this usually works.

When you transfer to a new college, your GPA does not technically "transfer" with you. Your new institution will typically start you with a new GPA, and grades from the previous institution won’t affect your GPA at the new institution. This "fresh slate" applies regardless of whether your original GPA was high or low.

However, your previous GPA is still important. While your old grades won't factor into your new GPA, they'll still be visible to any future employers or graduate schools that require your complete transcript.

Also, when you apply as a transfer student, the college to which you're applying will take your GPA from your former school into consideration for admissions decisions. They will look at your transcript to see the course load you undertook at your former school and how well you performed.

Beyond this, the credits for the courses you've already taken may or may not transfer. This will vary depending on the specific policies of the school you're transferring to. Some schools have restrictions on how many credits they will accept from other institutions, some won't accept credits for certain courses, and some require a minimum grade for a course to be eligible for transfer.

So to sum it up, while your GPA doesn't directly transfer, it still holds a significant role in your academic journey. Therefore, it's crucial to do well academically regardless of your plans to transfer.