Fact Sheet
A Broken College Credit Transfer System and Policy Repairs
March 1, 2025
Nearly 2 in 5 students transfer between colleges before completing a degree. But, this is a costly decision. Forty-three percent of transfer credits are lost on average and one in seven students lose all their credits when transferring. This broken system results in learners taking longer to complete their degree or not completing at all – two out of five learners do not complete after transferring – leading to higher costs to completion and lost wages. These challenges disproportionately affect new traditional learners, including students of color, low-income students, and working adult learners.
