Transfer students must complete a minimum of 60 credits at Columbia and must graduate in eight semesters, including terms completed before entering Columbia.

Courses taken at outside institutions (or at Columbia while not matriculated as a Columbia undergraduate) will be reviewed, and if appropriate, credit will be awarded for those courses which are substantively similar to those offered in Columbia’s undergraduate curriculum. Some majors may not be available to transfer students as extended time will not be granted to complete a particular major. A normal course load for Columbia students is five to six academic classes a semester.

To enter either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering as a transfer, you must bring the equivalent of a minimum of 24 Columbia credits from your previous institution(s). If you will not have attained 24 credits upon entering Columbia, you are not eligible to apply as a transfer; you must apply as a first-year, using the first-year application instead.

At least 124 points are required for graduation from Columbia College; at least 128 are required for graduation from Columbia Engineering. Since Columbia requires that a minimum of 60 points toward the degree be earned at Columbia, you may not enter with more than 64 points in Columbia College or with more than 68 points in Columbia Engineering. Credit granted on the basis of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other standardized examinations will count towards the 64-68-point maximum. Note that Columbia University does not grant credit for any college courses that you took before graduating from high school.

For a detailed explanation of academic credit for transfer students, please refer to the Transfer Planning Guide.