Transfer Tips

College transfer requirements vary and change regularly. Please contact your transfer college for current information.

Most liberal arts colleges require a 2.0 college GPA or higher for acceptance upon completion of a two-year degree. A few selective or out-of-state colleges may have higher college entrance requirements.

If you transfer without completing a two-year degree, you may need higher than a 2.0 GPA if you are not admissible based on your high school records.

If you will be transferring before completing a two-year Associate in Arts Degree (AA) degree, check out the Transfer in Iowa Reverse Credit Transfer Agreement before applying to your transfer institution.

Entrance GPA requirements may vary from year to year and college to college.

Many colleges accept the Associate in Arts Degree (AA) as satisfying the majority of their general education requirements. If you do not plan to receive an AA degree, you may be required to take specific courses to satisfy the general education requirements of the transfer college.

Admission to a college does not guarantee admission to some majors. Some majors have a minimum GPA requirement for admission while others may select the best applicants each year.

Generally transfer colleges will exclude non-transfer courses (developmental and/or technical courses) when calculating your GPA.

The number of credits you can transfer varies from college to college. Contact your transfer college or university for more information.

The policy for transferring "D" grades varies from college to college. Most public colleges will accept a "D" if it is not a part of the major or a technical credit; many private colleges will not accept a "D" grade.

To ensure a smooth transfer, please work closely with a Hawkeye advisor and the transfer college to be sure transfer prerequisites are met.