9 Online Colleges That Accept Transfer Credits in Minnesota

There are many reasons a student may want to transfer college, but transferring credits can feel overwhelming. Luckily, many online colleges in Minnesota strive to make this simple.

Students can transfer their credits into both on-campus and online programs. Keep reading to discover online schools that accept transfer credits.

9 Best Online Colleges That Accept Transfer Credits in Minnesota

Many colleges and universities in Minnesota offer online programs and accept transfer credits. We've highlighted nine of these schools below. All colleges and universities listed hold accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.

Bemidji State University

Bemidji State University is a public university in Bemidji, Minnesota. It's a school within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System offering online and hybrid bachelor's degrees and graduate programs.

About 50% of new students who enroll each year are transfer students. The bachelor's degree programs are designed for transfer students, but first-year students can still apply. Some programs are solely transfer pathways and require transfer credits.

Bemidji State has transfer agreements with several local community colleges. It accepts the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MNTC) to fulfill general education requirements; it may also approve other courses.

Concordia University, St. Paul

Concordia University, St. Paul is a private Christian university in Saint Paul that's part of the national Concordia University system. It offers on-campus and online associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

The university has a generous transfer policy, allowing undergraduate students to transfer up to 90 college credit hours out of the 120 typically required. Students can use Transferology, an online course transfer system, to determine how their courses will transfer to CSP.

Metropolitan State University

Metropolitan State University is a public university in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It's another member of the Minnesota State system and offers various programs through online classes.

Students can transfer into Metro State, as long as they've attempted at least 16 college credit hours. The university uses Transferology so you can easily see what coursework will transfer.

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota. It offers in-person and online learning programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The university accepts the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) for general education requirements. Students can use Transferology to see how their credits will transfer and explore course equivalencies. Students can also fill out a preliminary credit evaluation to see which credits will transfer. Once accepted, you'll receive a full degree audit report.

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private Catholic university based in Winona, Minnesota. It offers online bachelor completion programs specifically for transfer students, as well as online graduate programs.

Students can transfer up to 90 credits from community colleges, technical colleges, and other four-year institutions; they may also transfer some accepted credits from military, industry, and business training. Students with associate degrees are eligible for the university's Associate Degree Scholarship.

Southwest Minnesota State University

Southwest Minnesota State University is a public university in Marshall offering various online undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.

The university offers transfer pathways from all two-year colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. This allows students to only pursue 60 credit hours after transferring within the same major. Credits from other two-year and four-year colleges are accepted as well.

St. Catherine University

St. Catherine University is a private Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school offers on-campus undergraduate programs for women, but all students are eligible to enroll online.

Students can transfer credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities. Specific scholarships are available for transfer students taking courses online.

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is a public university system with its flagship campus based in the Twin Cities. It offers a wide range of online programs through its campuses.

In general, transfer applicants should have at least 26 college credits completed. Those who haven't completed this may need to submit high school information (i.e., GPA and test scores). Other transfer policies vary by campus.

Winona State University

Winona State University is a public university in Winona, Minnesota. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs online and on campus.

Students can transfer their college credits and even earn credit for other types of prior learning. Students can use Transferology to see how their credits will transfer, but they'll need to submit their official transcript to have them approved.

Using Transfer Credits

Most schools make it easy to transfer your credits, giving students many transfer options. Below, we've answered some commonly asked questions about using transfer credits.

Should I Transfer Schools?

Whether or not you should transfer schools is entirely up to you. Common reasons college students transfer schools include:

• transferring to an institution that's better for their chosen major
• completing an associate degree and furthering education with a bachelor's degree
• finding a better fit at a new school as compared to their previous college
• looking to save money and considering other options

Some students transfer simply as a preference. Whatever the reason, conduct research and understand how your credits will transfer to the new school.

How Do I Use Transfer Credits?

Transfer credits allow you to earn college credit for prior learning. To use these credits, you'll submit your official transcript to your new college. They'll run a degree audit to determine what credits will transfer.

Then, when you start planning your courses, you won't need to retake the ones you've already taken elsewhere. This allows you to stay on track when earning your degree.

What Can Be Used as Transfer Credits?

Most credits that you've earned through a regionally accredited college or university will transfer, but other types of prior learning may transfer as well. These include:

• college courses from high school (i.e., Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program)
• Advanced Placement (AP) exams
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams
• military credits
• industry and business training

Will My Credits Transfer?

Overall, whether your credits will transfer will depend on your school and your major. Often, at the very least, general education credits will transfer.

Minnesota uses the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum to ensure that students who have completed an Associate of Arts degree or an Associate of Science degree can transfer from a two-year institution to a four-year institution. Some schools also have articulation agreements with other states.

For other credits, like major credits and electives, you'll need to have your transcripts audited. Your advisor should be able to help you with your transfer planning.

How Many Credits Can I Transfer?

The number of credits you can transfer varies depending on the institution you're applying to and your major. Some institutions will accept up to 90 transfer credits; most accept at least 60 credit hours, as this is how many you'll earn in an associate program.