10 Online Colleges That Accept Transfer Credits in Pennsylvania

Transferring to an online degree program can be a great option for busy students with other responsibilities who want to earn their degrees. Pennsylvania residents can choose from several online colleges that accept transfer credits.

Transfer credits allow you to continue your degree program at your new university right where you left off at your previous college or university. Keep reading to discover online colleges in Pennsylvania that accept transfer credits.

10 Best Online Colleges That Accept Transfer Credits in Pennsylvania

Many Pennsylvania colleges and universities offer online degree programs and accept transfer credits. We've featured ten of these programs below. All programs listed hold regional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

DeSales University

DeSales University is a nonprofit, private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. It offers online learning programs specifically geared toward adult learners.

The university allows students to transfer up to 75 college credits. DeSales has transfer agreements with multiple community colleges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; students who hold an associate degree from these colleges can transfer their credits. Always make sure to speak with an advisor to ensure that your credits can transfer over.

Drexel University

Drexel University is a private, nonprofit research university based in Philadelphia. It offers on-campus and online bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees in various subjects.

Students can transfer up to 80 semester credits. These credits must come from a regionally accredited university, and students must have earned a C or better. Students may need to use the school's quarter-to-semester calculator as this university operates on a quarterly academic calendar, instead of the traditional semesters.

Immaculata University

Immaculata University is a private, nonprofit Roman Catholic university in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania. It offers multiple online bachelor's and master's degrees.

Generally, students can transfer up to 72 credits into the university. Immaculata has articulation agreements with many local community colleges. Students can find course equivalencies through CollegeTransfer.net.

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It offers many online programs, including bachelor's degree completion programs specifically for transfer students.

After applying and sending in your official transcripts, you'll receive a credit evaluation detailing what courses you still need to take. Students can also check the university's transfer equivalencies page to see which credits should be transferred.

Misericordia University

Misericordia University is a private, nonprofit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university in Dallas, Pennsylvania. Its online programs include accelerated bachelor's degree programs specifically for transfer students.

The university works closely with students to ensure they can pick up their education program right where they left off. Students with associate degrees typically don't need more than 66 credits to earn a bachelor's degree, and special financial aid options are available to students transferring from local community colleges.

Peirce College

Peirce College is a private, nonprofit college in Philadelphia that primarily develops its programs for working adults. This means that several of its programs are available online and the university makes the process easy for transfer students.

Students can transfer up to 90 credits into regular bachelor's programs and 102 credits into bachelor's degree completion programs. The university also allows students to transfer credit through other types of prior learning.

Penn State World Campus

Penn State World Campus is the online branch of Pennsylvania State University, a public research university in University Park, Pennsylvania. It offers undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and certificate programs specifically to online students.

Penn State has no limit to how many credits you can transfer, but at least 36 credits of coursework must be completed at Penn State. The university's Transfer Credit Tool can help students determine what their credit transfer may look like.

Penn West Global

Penn West Global is the online school of Pennsylvania Western University, a public school based in California, Pennsylvania. It offers a range of flexible online degree and certificate programs.

The university works with students so they can maximize their transfer credits. In addition to transfer credits, students can receive college credit for other prior learning experiences. Students must submit their transcripts with their application to determine which credits will be accepted.

Temple University

Temple University is a public research university in Philadelphia. It offers several different online academic programs to undergraduate and graduate students.

The university considers anyone with over 15 college credits after high school to be a transfer student. There is no limit to how many college credits students can transfer, but students must take at least 45 credits through Temple.

Villanova University

Villanova University is a private, nonprofit Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It offers flexible online learning options, including bachelor's completion degree programs for transfer students.

Students can transfer up to 90 college credits to Villanova University. The university has partnerships with several local community colleges; this also includes a reduced tuition rate for students with a college GPA of 3.0 or above.

Using Transfer Credits

Typically, colleges and universities try their best to make the transfer process as smooth as possible for students, but there are still many factors to consider when transferring schools. We've broken down some of these below.

Should I Transfer Schools?

The only person who can tell you if you should transfer schools is you. It can be a big decision, and there are several reasons someone may decide to transfer.

Some students transfer because they want to change majors or study online, and their current college or university doesn't offer those options. Others decide to switch to less expensive schools, like public in-state schools.

Many students transfer because they earned their associate degree at a community college and want to continue to earn a bachelor's degree. Others transfer because they aren't happy at their current school. If you feel that you may benefit from switching postsecondary institutions, it's worth looking into.

How Do I Use Transfer Credits?

Transfer credits are the credits earned at one college or university that you bring with you when you transfer to a new college or university. It allows you to replace credits in your new degree program with credits you've already earned.

To use your transfer credits, you'll generally need to submit your official transcript. Then, the admissions department will determine which credits you can use toward your degree.

What Can Be Used as Transfer Credits?

College credit is the most common form of transfer credit, but there are other types of credits you can use as well. These include:

• advanced placement (AP) testing
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) testing
• military credit
• technical or business certification

Some programs also let you earn credit by taking an exam to test your knowledge. Each university is different, so contact the admissions office if you have questions.

Will My Credits Transfer?

Whether your credits will transfer depends on your old school, your new school, and your degree program. Generally, if you've earned credits from a regionally accredited institution, and earned a C or higher, those credits will transfer.

However, if you've already taken coursework for your major but decide to switch majors, some courses may not transfer into your new program. For example, if you started as a business administration major but switched to criminal justice, your business credits may not transfer. Switching to a similar major, like from healthcare to public health, may allow you to transfer more credits.

How Many Credits Can I Transfer?

The number of credits you can transfer varies between institutions. Many allow you to transfer between 70 and 90 credits, while others have no limit, as long as you take a certain number of credits through your new program.