How does a transfer GPA affect my current college GPA?

If I transfer from one college to another, how do my GPA and credits transfer over? Trying to figure out how my academic record will be impacted.

In most cases, when you transfer from one college to another, your credits may transfer, but your GPA does not. Your GPA typically "resets" and you start with a clean slate at your new institution. The courses you've taken at your previous institution will be validated for credit transfer, but the letter grades usually don't factor into your "new" GPA.

However, all courses and grades you earned at your previous institution(s) will remain on your academic record and must be reported on applications for graduate school or certain jobs. In these cases, evaluators will likely consider all grades earned throughout your undergraduate career.

Your new institution will have its own policy for how transferred credits affect degree requirements. For example, some institutions might accept transfer credits as fulfilling general education requirements but require all major-specific courses to be taken at the new institution. Others might have a limit on the total number of credits you can transfer.

Before you transfer, it's a good idea to contact the admissions office or the registrar at your potential new university to get detailed information on their credit transfer and GPA calculation policies. Keep in mind, that it may also be beneficial to speak with an academic advisor to ensure that your credits will be accepted and properly applied towards your intended degree.

Do note that sometimes, the course taken at your previous institution may need to closely align in content with the course at your new institution for the credits to transfer. So the rule of thumb is to check beforehand, as all schools will have different policies for this.