How College Credit Transfers Between US Schools

Credit is awarded by the receiving institution

In the US, the college you enroll in or transfer to decides which credits it will accept and how they count. There is no single national authority that guarantees a credit earned at one school will transfer to another. This applies to AP, IB, and CLEP credit as well as to courses you completed elsewhere.

That means credit you earned and applied at one institution may transfer in full, in part, or not at all when you move to another. Understanding this up front is the key to protecting the work you have already done — and confirming the rule on each receiving school's official source.

How exam credit (AP, IB, CLEP) carries

AP, IB, and CLEP credit is granted according to each college's own policy. When you transfer, the new institution applies its own AP/IB/CLEP rules to your original exam scores — it does not simply inherit how your first college counted them.

So a score that earned credit at your first college might earn different credit, or none, at the next, because the new school's minimum scores, accepted exams, and caps may differ. Keep your official score reports available so the new school can re-evaluate them under its policy.

• Exam credit is re-evaluated under the new school's policy, not carried verbatim
• Minimum scores, accepted exams, and caps can all differ
• Keep official AP/IB/CLEP score reports so they can be re-assessed

How prior coursework transfers

For courses you have already taken, the receiving school typically reviews the course content, the awarding institution's accreditation, the grade earned, and whether it matches one of its own courses or fits a requirement. A course may transfer as a direct equivalent, as general elective credit, or not at all.

Articulation agreements between specific institutions (common between community colleges and state universities) can make transfer more predictable for certain courses. Where such agreements exist, they are a reliable guide to what will carry — but confirm the current terms before relying on them.

• Course content, accreditation, grade, and fit all factor in
• Credit may come in as a direct match, an elective, or not at all
• Articulation agreements make some transfers more predictable

Why changing majors can strand credit

Even without transferring schools, switching majors can leave some earned credit unused. Credit that satisfied your old major's requirements may only count as electives toward a new major, so it still appears on your transcript but no longer shortens your path to the degree.

This is normal and not a loss of the credit itself — it is a change in how the credit applies. Mapping a prospective new major's requirements against credit you already hold helps you see what will still count before you switch.

Protect the credit you have earned

Because the receiving institution makes the final call, the best protection is to confirm how credit will count before you commit to a transfer or a major change.

• Request an official transfer-credit or degree evaluation before enrolling
• Keep syllabi, transcripts, and official AP/IB/CLEP score reports
• Ask whether an articulation agreement covers your courses
• Confirm in writing how credit applies to your intended major
• Check for time limits, accreditation requirements, or credit caps

Where to verify the rules

The authoritative source for any transfer-credit decision is the receiving college's own admissions, registrar, or transfer-credit office. For exam-based credit, also keep the official College Board (AP, CLEP) and International Baccalaureate references handy so the new school can re-evaluate your scores.

Policies change, so verify the current rules for your enrollment year. When sources disagree, the receiving institution's official policy governs the credit you actually receive.