Transfer Admission Rates: What are Your Chances of Getting In?

The transfer admissions process can often be even more selective than regular undergraduate admissions, and with35%of college students transferring at least once, it’s important to understand exactly how difficult (or not!) it is to transfer to your dream school.

Why Transfer?

There are a number of reasons why students choose to transfer schools. It can be anything from homesickness or a negative experience their first year, to a change in major that isn’t offered at their current institution. Often students are also transferring from a two-year school to a four-year university. What’s key when transferring is to knowwhyyou want to transfer and how tobuild a balanced transfer college listthat can meet your new needs. Part of building that list includes understanding your chances of admission.

Transfer Admission Rates

It’s important to understand that the transfer admission process is often much more selective than the undergraduate process— especially at universities where gaining admission is already very difficult. According to NACAC, on average, transfer admission rates were slightly lower than that of first-year students. Why? First, students are applying for admission to classes that are already established and may have few seats available. It’s not like the undergraduate process, where the class is first being built and there are thousands of spots for applicants. However, that’s not to say that it’s hard to gain admission as a transfer student at all universities. In fact, at some schools transfer admission rates are about the same or slightly higher than the undergraduate admission rate. As schools look to fill out their classes and maintain high yield rates, they’veplaced more of an emphasis on recruiting transfer students.

Here are some transfer admission rates for fall 2023 (the most recent data available.)

School	First-Year Acceptance Rate	Transfer Acceptance Rate
American University	47.38%	80.50%
Amherst College	9.81%	8.68%
Auburn University	50.47%	50.98%
Babson College	19.74%	26.09%
Barnard College	7.96%	20.65%
Bates College	13.06%	15.11%
Baylor University	50.97%	89.40%
Boston University	10.85%	39.74%
Bowdoin College	8.02%	6.82%
Brandeis University	35.33%	37.32%
Brown University	5.23%	4.15%
Bucknell University	32.01%	26.46%
California Institute of Technology	3.14%	4.02%
Carleton College	22.28%	10.97%
Carnegie Mellon University	11.40%	5.77%
Case Western Reserve University	28.67%	32.02%
Chapman University	55.61%	56.32%
Claremont McKenna College	11.12%	8.31%
Clark University	41.67%	30.07%
Clemson University	52.91%	Overall: 38.05% In-state: 49.23% Out-of-state: 36.04% International: 26.67%
Colgate University	13.88%	11.95%
College of Charleston	72.00%	87.40%
College of the Holy Cross	21.10%	46.45%
College of William and Mary	32.72%	48.13%
Colorado College	20.03%	42.77%
Columbia University	4.00%	10.11%
Cornell University	7.90%	12.67%
Dartmouth College	6.23%	1.56%
Davidson College	14.48%	14.76%
Denison University	16.93%	34.93%
DePaul University	73.53%	63.07%
Elon University	67.31%	56.25%
Emory University – EmoryCampus	10.65%	16.80%
Fairfield University	44.98%	7.14%
Fordham University	56.28%	80.22%
George Washington University	43.54%	58.88%
Georgetown University	13.08%	13.21%
Georgia Tech	In-state: 36.60% Out-of-state: 12.53% International: 9.95%	27.84%
Gonzaga University	75.96%	67.33%
Hamilton College	11.77%	11.15%
Harvard University	3.45%	0.79%
Harvey Mudd College	13.10%	5.08%
Haverford College	12.91%	15.50%
Indiana University	80.37%	65.99%
Johns Hopkins University	7.56%	6.39%
Lafayette College	31.47%	21.08%
Lehigh University	29.26%	29.50%
Lewis & Clark College	74.53%	50.98%
Loyola Marymount University	40.29%	40.84%
Loyola University – Chicago	81.39%	55.14%
Macalester College	28.21%	27.52%
Marquette University	87.48%	73.27%
Middlebury College	10.37%	5.90%
New York University	9.41%	37.17%
Northeastern University	5.65%	24.30%
Northwestern University	7.22%	12.75%
Oberlin College	32.98%	22.89%
Pepperdine University	49.85%	43.97%
Pitzer College	16.66%	20.77%
Pomona College	6.76%	7.17%
Princeton University	4.50%	3.09%
Providence College	48.72%	55.95%
Reed College	27.16%	19.33%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	58.50%	55.49%
Rice University	7.88%	4.45%
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	72.81%	67.19%
Rutgers University	Overall: 65.35% In-state: 62.27% Out-of-state: 71.98% International: 70.72%	57.57%
Santa Clara University	43.84%	60.56%
Sarah Lawrence College	58.93%	54.78%
Smith College	19.73%	25.00%
Southern Methodist University	61.22%	68.77%
Stanford University	3.91%	2.04%
Swarthmore College	6.94%	9.20%
Syracuse University	43.12%	43.42%
Texas A&M	63.10%	58.07%
Texas Christian University	42.60%	84.16%
Trinity University	28.16%	32.93%
Tufts University	10.13%	12.76%
Tulane University	14.59%	50.59%
University of California – Berkeley	Overall: 11.73% In-state: 15.13% Out-of-state: 7.80% International: 3.53%	26.23%
University of California – Davis	Overall: 41.64% In-state: 36.25% Out-of-state: 60.35% International: 49.14%	64.14%
University of California – Irvine	Overall: 25.75% In-state: 20.39% Out-of-state: 47.25% International: 32.56%	43.55%
University of California – Los Angeles	Overall: 8.73% In-state: 9.46% Out-of-state: 8.62% International: 6.09%	26.32%
University of California – San Diego	Overall: 24.76% In-state: 24.51% Out-of-state: 31.92% International: 17.93%	62.54%
University of Chicago	4.79%	7.91%
University of Colorado – Boulder	In-state: 92.35% Out-of-state and International: 74.82%	In-state: 83.95% Out-of-state and International: 68.16%
University ofDenver	70.67%	78.81%
University of Florida	Overall: 24.03% In-state: 52.58% Out-of-state: 14.25% International: 19.60%	47.79%
University of Georgia	In-state: 50.24% Out-of-state: 28.11% International: 21.60%	73.92%
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign	Overall: 43.69% In-state: 56.23% Out-of-state: 35.87% International: 34.50%	51.70%
University of Maryland	In-state:53.90% Out-of-state and International:41.56%	55.45%
University of Massachusetts – Amherst	57.74%	68.73%
University of Miami	18.51%	51.38%
University of Michigan	17.94%	34.50%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Overall: 18.74% In-state: 41.16% Out-of-state: 9.33% International: 18.22%	45.07%
University of Notre Dame	12.38%	15.80%
University of Pennsylvania	5.87%	4.58%
University of Richmond	23.31%	49.66%
University of Rochester	Overall: 35.85% College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering: 35.81% Eastman School of Music: 36.89%	39.09%
University of Texas at Austin	In-state: 40.97% Out-of-state: 11.76% International: 13.24%	30.18%
University of Vermont	Overall: 60.02% In-state: 59.83% Out-of-state: 71.43% International: 32.83%	79.50%
University of Virginia	In-state: 27.58% Out-of-state: 13.18% International: 11.50%	In-state: 45.00% Out-of-state: 19.00% Virginia Community College System (including Guaranteed Admission Applications): 58.50%
University of Washington – Seattle	In-state: 52.27% Out-of-state: 38.46% International: 45.42%	46.13%
University of Wisconsin – Madison	Overall: 43.24% In-state: 60.67% Out-of-state: 42.67% International: 31.91%	47.55%
Vanderbilt University	6.28%	18.86%
Vassar College	17.73%	11.72%
Virginia Tech	In-state: 47.08% Out-of-state: 63.16% International: 68.01%	59.59%
Wake Forest University	21.56%	29.88%
Washington & Lee University	17.36%	4.71%
Washington University in St. Louis	11.96%	12.21%
Wellesley College	13.91%	14.55%
Wesleyan University	17.10%	25.85%
Williams College	9.99%	3.15%
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	58.50%	77.18%
Yale University	4.50%	1.22%

What to Know as a TransferApplicant

As a transfer student it’s important to knowhow your application will be evaluatedin the admissions process. According to NACAC, GPA and grades at students’ current college or university are most important to schools when evaluating transfer applications. Students need to be doing well in their current courses in order to have the best chance of admission at their top-choice transfer schools.

The transfer application will also be a lot different than the applications you may be familiar with from the undergraduate admissions process. Instead of providing information on your high school courses and activities, you will provide information on your courses at your current school and recommendations from current professors. While transfer application essays vary from school to school, overall, they tend to ask questions about why you are transferring and your intended field of study— rather than the usualpersonal statementsandquirky prompts.

Resources for Transfer Students

There are a number of resources to help guide you through the transfer admissions process. Here are a few below:

AtIvyWise, we work with students in any part of thecollege admissions process, including those who are navigating the transfer admissions process. For more information on ourcollege counseling services for transfer students,contact us today.

Transfer Admission Rates: What are Your Chances of Getting In? | IvyWise (2024)

FAQs

What are the odds of getting in as a transfer student? ›

Statistics About Admitted Transfer Students

	Applicants	Admit Rate
CA Community Colleges	19,091	30%
Other UC Campuses	1,741	17%
CA State Universities	587	4.8%
Other Schools	2,555	5.9%

Read On ›

Do transfer students get accepted easier? ›

Many top schools have transfer admission rates that are double or triple their freshman admission rates, meaning that statistically, you will have stronger chances of admission as a transfer applicant than as a high school applicant.

Discover More Details ›

How hard is it to get into fit as a transfer student? ›

FIT accepts 56.02% transfer applicants, which is competitive. To have a shot at transferring into FIT, you should have a current GPA of at least 3.3 - ideally you're GPA will be around 3.43. In addition, you will need to submit standardized test scores.

Are transfer acceptance rates higher? ›

In fact, at some schools transfer admission rates are about the same or slightly higher than the undergraduate admission rate. As schools look to fill out their classes and maintain high yield rates, they've placed more of an emphasis on recruiting transfer students.

See Details ›

What is the hardest school to transfer to? ›

The 14 Hardest Schools to Transfer to in 2022

Harvard University — Cambridge, MA. ...
Stanford University — Stanford, CA. ...
Princeton University — Princeton, NJ. ...
Yale University — New Haven, CT. ...
5. California Institute of Technology — Pasadena, CA. ...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Cambridge, MA.

More items...

Aug 16, 2022

Find Out More ›

What GPA is good enough to transfer? ›

Common application colleges tend to have higher transfer requirements, with some requiring a 2.5 to 3.0 GPA to transfer, with some program-specific requirements being even higher.

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Why is being a transfer student so hard? ›

Transfer students often have an abbreviated new student orientation experience that may not have the same level of engagement. A Repeat of First-Year Experience – Attending a new school could feel like starting all over again.

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Which college is easier to transfer? ›

California schools including UCLA, Berkeley, and USC have significantly higher transfer acceptance rates than their freshman admission rates.

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Is it easier to get into Ivy Leagues as a transfer student? ›

Is it Easier to Get Into College as a Transfer? Generally, no, at least for most Ivy League schools. Columbia College/Engineering is the only outlier above that suggests it's easier to get in as a transfer than as a first-year student.

What college accepts the most transfer students? ›

Top Universities with Relatively Exceedingly High Transfer Admission Rates. UChicago, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, WashU, Cornell, Columbia, Notre Dame, Cal, UCLA, Emory, NYU, Michigan, USC, and UVA, in particular, boast extraordinarily high transfer admission rates relative to their first-year admission rates.

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Is it easier to transfer as a freshman or sophom*ore? ›

The best time to transfer is the end of sophom*ore year/start of junior year. Why? If you try transferring during freshman year, the only real grades you have will be from high school, and those senior-year grades will matter—a lot. If you finished high school on a high note, then, by all means, aim to transfer earlier.

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Is a 3.8 GPA good enough to transfer? ›

Typically, successful transfer applicants have exceptionally strong GPAs, often above 3.8 or 3.9. Keep in mind that admission decisions are based on more than just GPA, with factors such as your course rigor, engagement in extracurricular activities, and essays also playing a significant role.

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Is it hard to meet people as a transfer student? ›

Whether you're moving from a community college or another university, or you're returning to school to finish your degree, you'll be entering an unfamiliar environment. Making a new friend group and learning your way around campus can be challenging when you're the new kid on the block. Fortunately, you're not alone.

Get More Info Here ›

Are transfer students more successful? ›

Transfer Students' Performance

Four-year college administrators say that roughly a quarter of transfer students perform better than their native students, while about half perform as well.

What are the statistics for transfer students? ›

Transfer enrollment represents 13.2 percent of all continuing and returning undergraduates, up from 12.5 percent last year and 12.3 percent in fall 2021. Upward transfers from two-year to four-year institutions drove the growth, increasing by 7.7 percent, while lateral transfers grew 4.3 percent.

Transfer Admission Rates: What are Your Chances of Getting In? | IvyWise (2024)

Why Transfer?

Transfer Admission Rates

What to Know as a TransferApplicant

Resources for Transfer Students

FAQs

What are the odds of getting in as a transfer student? ›

Is it easier to transfer as a freshman or sophom*ore? ›