Transfer Credit Evaluation

Steps to ease the transfer process

As a transfer student, your previous college-level course work can be evaluated at any time during the transfer application process.  Whether you are just beginning to explore Cornell or whether you have applied, our Transfer Coordinator, Sharon Grice, can speak with you and offer you a preliminary transfer credit evaluation based on your current transcript and planned major(s). 

Find out what credits transfer

Email an unofficial copy of your transcripts to Sharon Grice at sgrice@cornellcollege.edu to receive a preliminary evaluation. Once you determine what credits will transfer, you can work with your advisor at Cornell to map out your coursework, and soon, you'll be on your way to degree completion of your bachelor's. 

Transfer credit evaluation

You will be given credit for an academic course if:

1. It is relevant to the curricular program at Cornell. This means that the transfer course is equivalent to a course described in the academic catalog or offers a broad, non-specialized examination of a subject relevant to a major at Cornell.
2. You received a grade of "C" (not C-) or higher in the course.
3. You completed the course at a regionally accredited college or university.

Credit hours conversions

View a sample transfer credit evaluation PDF. 

Example transfer scenarios:

• A four-semester hour psychology course taken at a community college transfers over as one course credit at Cornell
• A three-semester hour English course taken at a community college transfers over as .75 of a Cornell course credit

Grades

All courses accepted by transfer will be posted on your Cornell transcript without grades, only as course credits. Grades earned at other institutions will not be included in calculating your Cornell grade point average.

Dual Enrollment Credit

There is not a limit on the number of dual enrollment credits. All first-year students, even those with more than 7 transfer credits (which is sophomore standing) are required to take the First-Year Seminar.  There is a limit of 16 transfer credits from a community college.  

Credit toward major and degree completion

Courses accepted by transfer do not necessarily satisfy the requirements for a major unless they are approved by the relevant Cornell department. You should confer with the chair of your major department as soon as possible after your admission to Cornell to determine which of your transferred courses will apply toward your major.

Credit for semester hours

One Cornell course credit is equivalent to four semester hours. Only transfer courses of three or more semester hours may be used to satisfy a Cornell major or a general education requirement.

For example, a four-semester hour psychology course at a community college would be equivalent to one course credit at Cornell. A three-semester hour English course would be equivalent to .75 of a Cornell course credit.

Credit for quarter hours

One Cornell course credit is equivalent to six quarter hours. Only transfer courses of four or more quarter hours may be used to satisfy a Cornell major or general education requirement.

When determining the value of quarter calendar hours, we first convert them to semester hours at a rate of two-thirds to one. For example, if you completed a four hour course on the quarter calendar, you will be eligible to transfer 2.66 semester hours for the course. Since each Cornell credit is worth four semester hours, your course would be eligible for 0.66 Cornell credits.

Here are some general guidelines to calculate how courses from a quarter calendar institution will transfer to Cornell:

• 1-3 quarter hours = not eligible for transfer credit
• 4 quarter hours = 2.66 semester hours
• 5 quarter hours = 3.33 semester hours

At a quarter calendar school you should complete sequential courses within a given year. This will ensure that you will satisfy the requirement for the year on the semester calendar and not lose any credit.