Do transfer credits affect my GPA?

I'm considering transferring colleges and curious about how my transfer credits might impact my GPA at the new school. Do transferred grades factor into the GPA calculation, or are they treated differently?

In most cases, the transfer credits you've earned from another school will be factored into your overall credits earned, but they typically won't affect your new GPA at the transfer institution.

For instance, if you had a 3.7 GPA at your previous school and then transferred to another institution, you would essentially start with a clean slate at the new institution, and your GPA would be determined only based on the courses you take there. Your transfer credits would be counted towards meeting graduation requirements, but your transfer grades would not count towards your new institutional GPA.

Remember that each school has its own policies regarding transfer credits and GPA, so it's always beneficial to check with the Registrar or Admissions at the institution you're considering transferring to for the most accurate information.

An example of this is the University of Michigan, which accepts credits from other schools, but notes on their website that "courses will be listed with the U-M equivalent course grades, but those grades will not be included in the computation of the U-M GPA."

In short, while your prior academic performance will be a part of your transcript and you may receive credit for those courses, those grades generally do not impact your new GPA calculation at your new school. As a transfer student, the grades you earn in your new classes will indicate your new GPA.