Academic credit loss common for community college transfers

Starting your bachelor’s degree at a community college can be a great way to save money and still graduate with the same degree as students who attend a 4-year college from the beginning.

But if you choose to go the community college route, you’d better be careful–a new report from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York found that more than 40% of community college graduates are unable to transfer their credits to a 4-year college.

Students have trouble transferring credits to 4-year colleges

According to the study, only 58% of community college transfers are able to bring all or almost all (90% or more) of their credits with them to their new 4-year college.

And 14% of transfers lose more than 90% of their credits.

That’s a huge waste of money for students who started at the community college hoping to save money on their degree. Transfer students that lose their credits have to basically start all over again at the new school–and pay the price for those new credits, both in time and money.

Impact on graduation rates

Researchers say that losing academic credits upon transferring is a huge reason why community college transfers are less likely to complete their Bachelor’s degree than students who started at a 4-year college.

Many students can’t afford to pay for another four years after paying for community college and are forced to drop out to save money.

Transfers whose credits are accepted by their college are more likely to graduate. In fact, experts predict that if 4-year colleges accepted most or all of their credits, the graduation rate for students transferring from a community college would jump from 46% to 54%.

Finding the right community college

Attending a community college can be a wise financial decision if you choose the right one. If you plan on getting a 4-year college degree, you need to do your homework and make sure the colleges you’re interested in accepting credits from that community college before you attend.

Many 2-year colleges, such as Monroe Community College in Rochester and Erie Community College in Buffalo, have agreements with 4-year colleges that guarantee students who follow certain tracks will be admitted–and their credits accepted.

If you need help finding an affordable 2-year (or 4-year) college that can save you money on your bachelor’s degree, feel free to give us a call at 1-888-234-3907 or contact us using this form.