How do credits transfer from online colleges to universities?

I'm looking into taking courses from online colleges, but I'm worried about the transfer process. How do you ensure the credits will be accepted by traditional universities? Any advice would be appreciated!

The first step to ensuring that your online college credits will transfer to a traditional university is research. You'll need to understand both the accreditation status of the online college you're considering, as well as the credit acceptance policies of the traditional universities to which you might transfer your credits.

When it comes to accreditation, there are two types: regional and national. Regional accreditation is generally regarded as more prestigious and more widely accepted by traditional universities. In the U.S., regionally accredited institutions are reviewed by seven agencies that are each responsible for a specific geographic area. National accreditation typically applies to vocational, trade or career schools. If you're interested in utilizing your online college credits towards a university degree progress, it's advisable to opt for institutions that are regionally accredited.

Once you have a potential online college in mind, start looking at the transfer policies of potential target universities. Many universities list their transfer policies online, including details about which schools and courses they accept credit from. If this information is not easily found, don't hesitate to reach out to the university's registrar or admissions office.

I'd also recommend speaking with academic advisors at both the online college and the traditional university. They will have experience with the transfer process and can provide guidance tailored to your specific situation.

Lastly, if possible, consider taking courses from online programs that have articulation agreements with traditional universities. These agreements specify that certain credits earned at one institution will be accepted by another, removing guesswork from the transfer process.

Keep in mind that even with all this research, there's no concrete guarantee a specific course credit will transfer until it's evaluated by the prospective university. Course syllabus and content often play a critical role in this decision, so it can be helpful to keep a copy of the syllabi for your online courses.