Colleges with the Best Support for Transfer Students

three students do homework at an outside table

The following is a short list of colleges and universities that are well known for the strength of their transfer programs. Additionally, these institutions consciously maintain the inclusiveness and integration of their transfer student communities.

New York University

At New York University, every transfer student is matched with a transfer ambassador as part of a program from the Center for Student Life. Transfer ambassadors are previous transfer students who have successfully made their transition and are therefore personally familiar with the challenges of the process.

They're also trained to answer questions from incoming transfer students, information colloquially known as “transfer-mation.” The Transfer Student Association also is highly active at NYU, encouraging transfer students to socialize and participate in student-run organizations and activities.

Oklahoma Baptist University

Oklahoma Baptist University made it into the top tier of colleges on the 2017 Transfer Honor Roll list, a list compiled by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society to recognize schools that go above and beyond to welcome transfer students to their communities.

OBU hosts a Welcome Week for incoming transfer students and places them in small groups to get to know one another and become more familiar with the school. OBU also looks closely at transfer students’ transcripts to maximize their transfer credits, increasing the likelihood of graduating within four years.

Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University helps transfer students feel more at home on campus and get involved in clubs and organizations as soon as they arrive. The Office of Transfer Services answers questions for students considering the transfer process.

Also, the Transfer Pre-Orientation Program and Jump Start Appalachian help transfer students adjust during their first few months. The university also offers Transfer RLCs, or residential living communities, where students can find individuals with similar experiences.

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan accepts a large number of transfer students from local community colleges and other four-year universities every year. The university offers Transfer Connections, which are where transfer students are matched with mentors at the main Ann Arbor campus.

Another available program is Changing Gears, specifically for former community college students. The University of Michigan also offers support to transfer students who are parents. The Students with Children program provides childcare to mothers and fathers.

The College of William and Mary

At William and Mary, students from the Virginia Community College system automatically are accepted if they earn their associate degree in two years with a GPA of 3.6 or higher. Students with comparable GPAs also are highly competitive applicants.

The Office of Admission works tirelessly to provide accepted transfer students with all of the information and housing help they need. William and Mary also looks at transfer credits with the COLL Curriculum, matching community college classes with general education classes so that transfer students enter with the highest number of credits possible.