Do credits transfer from college to college?

I'm thinking of switching colleges and really want to know if my credits will transfer smoothly. What steps should I take to verify this before applying? Any specific things I should be looking for in transfer policies?

Credit transferability mostly depends on the specific colleges, the programs in question, and the equivalence of the course curriculum. Before making any decisions about transferring, reach out to the admissions office or academic advisors at your current college and the one you’re looking at transferring to. They likely have established policies regarding the transfer of credits, including which from your current program would be accepted towards the similar degree at the new school.

You should primarily be looking to understand what the transfer policies of the college you're interested in transferring to are, such as:

1. Does the institution accept credits from an institution like the one you’re coming from? (for example, will a four-year institution accept credits from a two-year college)?

2. Which specific courses from your previous institution does the new one accept for credit?

3. Do they have a maximum number of credits that they'll accept from transfer students?

One universal aspect to look out for is regional accreditation. If both the colleges (the one you're enrolled in and the one you want to transfer to) are regionally accredited, your chances of credit acceptance go up significantly.

Remember that while most colleges will provide an initial evaluation of your transfer credits before you accept an offer of admission, the definitive evaluation often does not occur until after you’ve committed to the new school. The potentially delayed timing of a finalized transfer credit evaluation is something important to keep in mind as you go through this process.

Also, in case some of your credits do not transfer, consider whether you’re prepared to retake some classes or potentially delay your graduation. Lastly, if you receive federal financial aid, ask your prospective college about how transferring might affect your aid package, as in some cases, changing schools could affect your eligibility.

Bottom line, the transfer process can vary greatly from one institution to another, so direct communication with the prospective college’s admissions office is key.