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Transfer Information

The successful progression of students from the lower-division level to completion of the baccalaureate and on to advanced degree programs is a basic tenet of California higher education and, thus, is critical to the future of California. This underscores the importance that has been attributed to the transfer function of the community colleges since adoption of the California Master Plan for Higher Education in 1960.

The transfer process offers California students an effective and affordable avenue to continue their education beyond the first two years of college. Having the State's 108 California Community Colleges provide lower division education and then having its several dozen baccalaureate degree-granting institutions accept the preparation of these students to then transfer to a university allows the State to meet the societal demand for access to an education beyond high school in a cost-effective manner.

The community college transfer route to a baccalaureate degree also affords increased educational opportunities to groups of Californians who either do not initially qualify for, or choose not to attend, the State's public and independent universities. Community colleges serve many students who are not in the traditional college age-range and many who enroll attend part-time rather than the more standard full-time.

Many community college students come from historically low-college-going backgrounds or have personal histories lacking academic success. As has been documented by their success rate, the traits that many of these students have in common are the desire and ability to succeed in college through its highest levels. As the State has become more diverse, greater numbers of students from low-college-going communities have sought entry to higher education at the doors of our State's community colleges. For these and other reasons, transfer is an important avenue of success for many California college students.

ASSIST: According to the Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer (ASSIST) website: "ASSIST is a computerized student-transfer information system that can be accessed over the World Wide Web. It displays reports of how course credits earned at one California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. ASSIST is the official repository of articulation for California's colleges and universities and therefore provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available about student transfer in California."

Visit the Transfer Pathways for information regarding the flow of community college students to public four-year colleges and universities.

Links to Other Transfer-Related Information

AICCU Mentor
ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer)
California Articulation Number System (CAN)
California Community Colleges Transfer and Articulation
California Intersegmental Articulation Council (CIAC)
CSUMentor Transfer Students
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum
UC Pathways Answers for Transfers
UC Pathways Transfer Admission Programs