TRANSFER ADMISSION

General Information

Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science are the undergraduate divisions of Columbia University; both serve full-time students only. Potential applicants to Columbia College who have taken a break of more than a year in their education (with the exception of those who must complete national military service) should consider instead Columbia’s School of General Studies; the same is true for students who wish to attend a part-time program. Applicants to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science should proceed with this transfer application regardless of any break in schooling.

To be eligible to enroll as a transfer student at Columbia, you must have completed, or be registered for, 24 points of credit (the equivalent of one year of full-time study) at another institution. Candidates with more than four semesters of college coursework elsewhere are not encouraged to apply. Columbia’s academic requirements and institutional policies make completion of all graduation requirements in a reasonable and timely fashion unlikely. If your college or university is not in the U.S. or Canada, please consult the International Transfer Students Web page.

Columbia College also offers a Visiting Student Program; Visiting Students may enroll for a maximum of two semesters, either consecutive fall/spring semesters or spring and then the following fall semester. Visiting Students to Columbia College are not permitted to apply for transfer admission. You may not apply simultaneously as a transfer and as a visitor.

If you left high school without receiving a diploma in order to attend an early college program, you are not eligible for transfer admission and must apply as a first-year student using the first year application, by the appropriate Early Decision or Regular Decision deadline. You will not be eligible to receive credit for such accelerated programs except for credit earned through standardized examinations (e.g., AP and IB exams); such credit will be limited to 16 points, the equivalent of one full semester at Columbia.

Paper applications are not available for transfer admission; all applications must be submitted electronically. The deadline for transfer admission is March 15, and entrance is offered for the fall semester only.

Transfer Admissions and Financial Aid

Learn more about admissions requirements, applying, transfer credit and financial aid.

International Transfer Students

If you currently attend a college or university outside of the United States or Canada, find important information here about applying as a transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions (for Transfer Students)

Questions often asked by prospective transfer students about admissions, academic life, student life, financial aid and Columbia in general.