Survey Finds Widespread Challenges With Credit Transfer

Inside Higher Ed

Sarah Weissman

February 24, 2025

Negative experiences with trying to transfer credits toward a college credential are prevalent among American adults, according to a new survey from the research organization Public Agenda, the higher education consulting firm Sova and the Beyond Transfer Policy Advisory Board.

Fielded last May, the survey of roughly 3,000 people found that nearly 40 percent of respondents had previously attempted to transfer credits toward a postsecondary credential. More than half of those who sought to transfer (56 percent) tried to transfer credits toward a bachelor’s degree and a quarter toward an associate degree, while the rest pursued credit transfer toward certificate programs or other types of credentials. Most of the credits respondents sought to transfer were from community colleges, bachelor’s degree programs, work experience or dual-enrollment classes, though some also tried to transfer credits from vocational schools and various types of microcredentials.

More than half of respondents who attempted a transfer reported losing at least some credits in the process; 34 percent reported “most” of their credits were accepted, while 19 percent said “few” were accepted and 5 percent said none of their credits transferred. Meanwhile, a fifth of respondents who tried to transfer credits had to repeat classes they’d already taken, and 16 percent reported they didn’t pursue a postsecondary credential because the transfer process was too challenging. The most cited reason for transfer troubles was that colleges didn’t accept credits, including credit for work experience and prior learning.

“Negative experiences with credit transfer reinforce the perception that big institutions don’t care about regular people, a key element of the challenge facing our democracy,” Andrew Seligsohn, president of Public Agenda, said in a press release. “By shining a light on both the people and the process, we can better understand what works—as well as what doesn’t—so we can improve the system for everybody.”

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