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Indiana University
Admissions

Transferring credit

If you’re considering transferring from another campus or college, you might be wondering how your previous coursework—and life experience—will count toward an IU degree.

You earned it

Starting at a new school doesn’t mean leaving progress behind. You worked hard to get where you are, and past experience will help position you for success at IU.

Keep reading to learn about the many ways credit can transfer to an IU campus, including through credit for completed courses, credit by exam, credit for prior learning, and more.

Credit Explorer

To get a personalized estimate of how your course and test credits will transfer, check out our Credit Explorer tool.

Tip: have your transcripts ready so you can input your course info.

Visit the Credit Explorer site

Types of transfer credit

There are many options for students to earn credit towards their degree! Here’s an overview of the various ways your credit may transfer to IU:

Get credit by exam

Proficiency exams offer students an opportunity to earn credit for one or more courses based on a demonstrated knowledge of the material. Eligible exams include College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.

Get credit for completed courses

Any one of our IU campuses is a great place to land, whether you’re coming from another university in Indiana or a college across the country. And many times, classes you’ve already completed may be recognized by IU and count as semester hours towards your degree.

How will my college credits transfer to IU?

The IU campus you apply to will formally evaluate your official college transcripts to determine if your previous coursework from another institution translates to credit at IU. Coursework that you completed from one or more regionally accredited institutions (no nationally accredited institutions), in which you received a grade of C or higher, will be eligible for credit at IU. No more than 64 credit hours from a 2-year community college or associate degree program will be eligible to transfer to IU.

Individual schools or departments at IU will determine how transferred credits apply toward your degree requirements. Although transferred credits may count toward your degree at IU, they will not count toward your GPA.

To get an idea of how your courses from another institution may transfer to IU, check out our Credit Explorer.

Get credit for prior learning

IU welcomes students from a diverse range of backgrounds. Some life learning and experiences, such as employment or volunteer work, time in the military, and non-credit training might constitute college-level learning. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) is the evaluation and assessment of those experiences for college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward future education or training.

CPL is awarded through a variety of methods. Because each school or department determines its own process, you’ll want to work with admissions at your campus (contact information below) to see what CPL credit you will get.

Active-duty and veterans can receive college credit for military service and save time and money at the same time. A Joint Services Transcript (JST) should be submitted with the application materials for consideration.

Some programs allow the option to test out of specific courses by taking a proficiency exam. While the test out process allows you to avoid taking one or more courses, it does not award credit.

A portfolio is a collection of work and documentation that represents your learning. Portfolios are reviewed by departments or faculty to determine the appropriate amount of credit.

Some programs will award credit for certifications you have received through local or national organizations.

When will I find out whether my credits will transfer?

Typically, within a few weeks of being admitted to IU as a transfer student, you’ll be able to access a detailed Transfer Credit Report by logging into One.IU.

This report will list all courses you've taken at other institutions, and indicate which ones will transfer to IU. If a course will transfer, the report will name the equivalent IU course for which you will receive credit.

Even if IU doesn’t have an equivalent offering, some courses can transfer as “undistributed credits.” Your academic advisor will be able to assist you with those.

Contact campus admissions

IU Admissions staff and admissions counselors are always happy to help. Reach out directly to the Office of Admissions at the specific campus(es) you’re interested in:

IU Bloomington

Phone: 812-855-0661
Fax: 812-855-5102
Email: admissions@indiana.edu

IU Indianapolis (IUPUI will become IU Indianapolis in July 2024)

Phone: 317-274-4591
Fax: 317-278-1862
Email: apply@iu.edu

IU Columbus (IUPUC will become IU Columbus in July 2024)

Phone and text: 812-348-7390
Email: admissions@iupuc.edu

IU East

Phone: 765-973-8208 (or toll-free: 800-959-EAST)
Email: applynow@iue.edu

IU Fort Wayne

Phone: 260-257-6760
Email: fwadmit@iufw.edu

IU Kokomo

Phone: 765-455-9217
Email: iuadmis@iuk.edu

IU Northwest

Phone: 219-980-6991 (or toll-free: 888-YOUR-IUN (968-7486))
Fax: 219-981-4219
Email: admit@iun.edu 

IU South Bend

Phone: 574-520-4839 (or toll-free: 877-GO-2-IUSB)
Fax: 574-520-4834
Email: admissions@iusb.edu 

IU Southeast

Phone: 812-941-2212 (or toll-free: 800-852-8835)
Fax: 812-941-2595
Email: admissions@ius.edu 

IU Online

Phone: 844-445-0117
Email: iuoapply@iu.edu 

For more information on transfer policies that might impact you, visit IU’s policies page.

What’s next?

Take the next step to apply to IU, or keep exploring your options.