Frequently Asked Questions for Transfer Applicants

An official credit evaluation is provided once students have been admitted into Drexel. This will arrive via email from the academic advisor to their program of study. For a credit to transfer, there must be considerable overlap between the course taken at their institution and the required course at Drexel. Additionally, courses in which a student has achieved lower than a "C" are not eligible for transfer. Prospective students can check if their credits are transferable in the degree requirements for your program of interest in the University Catalog. We have select programs of study available to give students an idea of what may transfer into Drexel. Please note that only credits from regionally accredited institutions are eligible to transfer to Drexel.

All admitted students are assigned an academic advisor. This advisor will assist students through the transfer credit evaluation process as well as assist in the planning of coursework. Students are required to register for classes through their academic advisor for the first term at Drexel. After the first term, students have the option to go through their academic advisor for registration or register for classes on their own. This person will also perform your transfer credit evaluation within two to three weeks of your admission.

Students who have attended a regionally accredited institution have the ability to transfer up to 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately half a degree). In unique situations, transfer students may be allowed to transfer in additional credits at the discretion of their academic advisor.

Students with a GED and some college credits may be eligible for admission. Thes students should submit their application, along with their GED scores and official college transcripts, for consideration.

Depending upon the number of transfer credits, the co-op option that a student selects, and academic major, degree completion can vary. However, generally speaking, a student can expect to graduate within two to three years if approximately 50 to 60 credits are transferred.

To view a complete list of regionally accredited institutions, please refer to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

For international institutions, we will review to determine if the school's accreditation is equivalent to the United States regional accreditation. To expedite the review of your transcripts, it is recommended that you provide a course-by-course transcript evaluation from an organization affiliated with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) organization. If you are applying to our nursing programs, you are required to provide a course by course evaluation by any NACES organization
 

Once an application file is complete, it may take two to four weeks for a decision to be rendered once review for that term has begun. For Nursing Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) applicants, it may take four to six weeks after the priority deadline for a decision to be rendered. We recommend that you apply by our posted priority deadlines to ensure enough time to receive an admissions decision, financial aid package, and a transfer credit evaluation with plenty of time to make an informed decision. 

Drexel admits several hundred transfer students each year and the number of students transferring into each major varies program to program. For the 2023–2024 academic year, Drexel enrolled over 450 full-time transfer students, including ACE students.

The Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Program is the only accelerated degree program to which transfer students can directly apply. However, transfer students can consult their academic advisor to determine internal admissibility.

Refer to the Transfer Application Instructions for a list of required materials.

Yes. We require applicants to send official transcripts from all universities and colleges previously attended. Omitting schools from your application will result in a delay in reviewing your application.

Our admission office takes a holistic approach when reviewing transfer applications. Many factors are considered when reviewing applicants' files, including the full range of their academic achievements, which takes into consideration GPA, course patterns, most recent coursework, major, and essay.

International transfer applicants (including those applying to our Accelerated Nursing program) whose native language is not English must take an approved English proficiency exam unless the applicant has completed English I and II earning a grade of C or better from a regionally accredited collegiate institution in the United States, has studied for a minimum of three years and graduated from a high school where English is the primary language of instruction, or has earned a minimum score of 600 on the SAT Critical Reasoning section or a minimum score of 27 on the ACT English section within the last two years. Please refer to the Transfer Application Instructions for further information and a list of approved exams.

For applicants from Mainland China: The TOEFL ITP Plus for China is accepted in all cases where the TOEFL iBT is accepted.

You can check the status of your application by visiting the Discover Drexel Portal.

Note: Information on Discover Drexel reflects what has been processed into our system. It will not reflect materials that we have received but have not yet processed.

Please refer to the Transfer Application Instructions for detailed instructions on how to submit individual items.

Please refer to the Transfer Application Instructions for our mailing addresses.

Financial aid is available to transfer students who are applying for both part-time and full-time programs. Domestic students should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year, as soon as possible. See our Financial Information for Prospective Students for more information. We also encourage all full-time international students to submit the CSS Profile for the most competitive financial aid package. 

Note: Students eligible for The Drexel Promise do not need to submit the CSS Profile.

Depending on the number of credits transferred in, transfer students may have the opportunity to participate in one or three co-ops depending on the major. In some instances, transfer students have the ability to participate in two co-ops. Students should work closely with their academic advisor to discuss their options.

Transfer students participate in all of the 300+ clubs and organizations that Drexel has to offer. If you are a commuter, you may also find our Commuter Student Resources to be helpful. The ARC (Academic Resources Center) also offers services to assist students throughout their academic journey. 

New student orientation is held for all full-time transfer students. Fall orientation occurs the week before classes begin and is called Welcome Week. Details can be found on the First-Year Experience website. Winter and spring students will participate in a Welcome Day and will receive further information after their offer of admission.

Note: Additional orientation programs are offered for Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Program students in the fall and spring. Information regarding dates and schedules will be sent directly to eligible students by the College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Although on-campus housing is not guaranteed to full-time time transfer students, we recommend that enrollment and housing deposits are submitted as soon as possible to be placed on our priority housing list. Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, and transfer housing applications will be reviewed on rolling basis. Learn more about on-campus housing options for transfer students.

We also encourage transfer students to consider affiliated-housing options offered by American Campus Communities (ACC).

Transfer applicants are not required to live on campus, so if you are looking for non-Drexel-affiliated housing in the form of an off-campus apartment or house, we encourage you to explore off-campus housing options.

The University does all it can to support the success of our student veteran population. View our resources for veterans and military personnel on active duty. Please contact Transfer Admissions with any questions you may have.