10 Online Colleges That Accept Transfer Credits in California

Students looking to transfer to an online college in California might wonder if their previously earned credit hours will be acknowledged by their new school. College courses that don't transfer often require students to retake the same classes, which can increase total college costs and even delay graduation.

Fortunately, many colleges in California accept transfer credits from community colleges and other accredited institutions. This allows students to apply their general education credits to complete a four-year degree program at a faster pace.

Continue reading to learn more about online schools that accept transfer credits and see how these processes work in California.

10 Best Online Colleges That Accept Transfer Credits in California

College credit can be transferred to multiple online colleges in California. Each school has its transfer enrollment requirements based on factors like GPA requirements and the accreditation status of your previous school. California has a system to make transferring credits easy � students may even be able to transfer credits from previous degree programs.

San Diego State Global University

SDSU Global University is an online college at San Diego State University. They offer multiple undergraduate degrees and certifications fully online. Some of their most popular online programs include business, education, and governmental studies.

The SDSU transfer credit policies include the following:

• Students must have earned a minimum of 60 credit hours (the equivalent of an associate degree) at an accredited university or community college.
• Students must meet the GPA required for their chosen major, different majors at SDSU have different GPA requirements.
• Students must have completed at least 30 general education credit hours.
• Students must pay a $70 application fee.

California State University Online

California State University Online (Cal State) is part of the California State University (CSU) network of 23 on-campus locations across the state and uses resources from them all. The school offers ten programs students can complete online with transfer credits.

CSU has four distinct pathways for transfer, each with its distinct policies:

• Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT): Students must have completed an associate degree program from a California Community College (CCC) before applying. They must have completed 18 semester units in a single major area and general education courses, and submit all official transcripts by the deadline.
• Lower-Division Transfer: Students must have completed 59 or fewer credit hours before application, have a high school diploma or equivalent, meet all of the requirements for an incoming freshman, and have a high school GPA of 2.0.
• Upper-Division Transfer: Students must have a 2.0 GPA, must have completed more than 60 credit hours, be eligible to stay at their current school, and completed 10 general education requirements in certain areas.
• Transfer Success Pathway: Students must be first-year students in a CCC, ineligible to attend CSU at the time of high school graduation, or have financial reasons for not attending.

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda University is a Seventh-Day Adventist university focusing on healthcare-related degree programs including Health Informatics, Nursing, and Mental Health Services. These programs can be studied at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including multiple certification options for further specialization.

The transfer credit policies at this university include:

• general education credits must be completed at a liberal arts school, credits will only be accepted for introductory classes if they are taken before more advanced courses in the same subject
• minimum transfer GPA of 2.0 or C-
• maximum of 105 quarter-credit units

San Jose State University

San Jose State University (SJSU) consistently tops rankings from third-party organizations like Forbes and U.S. News and World Report for criteria like value, innovation, and individual programs. The school uses the CSU transfer eligibility system for its online programs and its on-campus offerings. SJSU uses a system called impaction to weigh these factors against each other.

SJSU's transfer credit policies are as follows:

• students must have completed four core courses (basic skills detailed by CSU) as part of their general education credit hours
• students must have a 2.0 GPA for consideration
• students must have a satisfactory impaction score

Point Loma Nazarene University

Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) offers 10 fully online undergraduate degree programs, including RN to BSN programs, criminal justice, and business administration. PLNU evaluates transferable courses on an individual basis and doesn't have many criteria that must be met for transfer applicants.

Students can only bring a maximum of 70 credit hours total. This includes all credits from an accredited university or community college, advanced placement (AP) or CLEP examinations, and any credits earned internationally.

Chico State Online (California State University - Chico)

Chico State Online has multiple programs that allow students to complete a degree they start at another school or use credits earned at a community college to work towards a four-year degree. Their online courses include degree programs like social sciences, religious studies, and humanities.

Students must select a pathway and qualify for the individual requirements of each path. Chico State is part of the CSU network; it uses the same four pathways as the other schools, including Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), Lower-Division Transfer, Upper-Division Transfer, or Transfer Success Pathway.

Hope International University

Hope International University is a Christian-based university with its main campus in Fullerton, however, its online courses allow students from community colleges and universities across the state to transfer and complete their degrees at HIU.

To transfer credits, students must submit their full transcripts at the time of application. HIU has no minimum number of transfer credits, but a transcript is still required. Students should also check the transfer guide for their college or university; HIU has individual guides for different community colleges

William Jessup University

William Jessup University allows students to pursue two online options: asynchronous or remote. Asynchronous studies are independent of on-campus courses. Learners will complete work and review material at their schedule, provided they meet scheduled deadlines. Remote students attend scheduled courses virtually, without attending any on-campus courses.

Transfer credit policies at this university include:

• students can transfer a maximum of 90 credits, but there is no minimum
• a maximum of 70 credits can come from international baccalaureate credits, AP, or CLEP examinations
• WJU has no listed minimum GPA, students who have completed more than 30 college credit hours will have their transcripts reviewed before acceptance

Touro University

Touro University Worldwide was originally located in New York, but it also recently opened a campus in Los Angeles. As a result, the school has opened up transfer partnerships with many of the California Community Colleges that will allow students to transfer their community college credits to TUW easily.

Transfer credit policies require students to:

• be a high school graduate or have a GED
• have a minimum GPA of 2.0 from an accredited school
• submit official transcripts (unofficial transcripts can be used to speed up the review process until official transcripts can be provided)

The University of La Verne

The University of La Verne offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degree programs online and accepts transfer students to come into any program.

To transfer credits, students can qualify for the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) to guarantee admission. They can transfer a maximum of 88 credit hours to a bachelor's degree and up to 40 for an associate degree.

Using Transfer Credits

Transfer credits can be hard to understand because not all schools have the same guidelines. However, the California Community College Network is a system of over 110 colleges that has articulation agreements in place to make transferring college credits to their four-year institutions easier.

Understanding how to transfer credits can help you complete your degree on time.

Should I Transfer Schools?

Often, students opt to transfer schools to make college more affordable. Transfer students can select courses based on their transferability, providing a more affordable pathway to a bachelor's degree.

Transferring schools should only be done if you are trying to complete a program your school doesn't offer, you're moving to attend on-campus classes, or you're trying to reduce tuition. The process can be tricky and shouldn't be done too hastily.

How Do I Use Transfer Credits?

Transfer credits are applied to your major requirements and will allow you to treat previously taken courses as part of your current degree program. In most cases, you won't need to do anything other than submit your transcript and the credits will be applied.

What Can Be Used as Transfer Credits?

Multiple methods can satisfy transfer credit requirements beyond the credit hours earned at a previous institution. Students can also use work experience, CLEP test scores, AP scores, and military service to satisfy credit requirements at some schools. Some schools have limits on how many non-credit hour credits you can use.

Will My Credits Transfer?

The transferability of your credits will vary from school to school and program to program. Schools can choose which credits they accept, so you should always check the transfer guide for your school before applying.

How Many Credits Can I Transfer?

It will differ at different schools, but most allow anywhere from three credits to 90 credits. Schools require that you complete a few semesters at their school before awarding you a degree with their stamp of approval, but the actual amount will vary. Additionally, some schools have a minimum that you must transfer, generally a set number of general education courses.