Transfer Student Application Checklist

Join our ever-growing Bear family.

Continue your journey at UNC

We're excited you're interested in the University of Northern Colorado! Here, your education will be research-driven and hands on. The community will be rooting for you to succeed. And your opportunities will be just about limitless. Hear from some of our students about their transfer to UNC.

Transfer application checklist

Getting started is easy and we're with you every step of the way.

  1. Start your app

    Apply to UNC through either our Bear App or the Common App. Budget about 15 minutes to complete either one. The application requirements are the same no matter which way you apply, so it's up to you how you would prefer to submit your app.

    We have a $50 application fee. It's non-refundable and payable by credit or debit card. Waivers are available.

  2. Send in your transcripts

    Send us official college transcripts from all previous institutions that you've attended.

  3. Additional requirements

    • If you are transferring with 23 or fewer credit hours (not counting AP, IB or CLEP credits), you need to submit your high school transcript or equivalent, as well as your ACT or SAT test scores.
    • If you are transferring with 24 or more credit hours (not counting AP, IB or CLEP credits), you need to submit proof of high school graduation for federal financial aid reasons. This can be a high school transcript, diploma, GED or other high school graduation equivalent.
    • If you have an associate's or bachelor's degree, you do not need to submit any high school or test score documentation.
    • If you do not meet the admission criteria (below), we recommend that you submit a personal statement. There is no specific prompt, but we recommend about 300 words, and you may want to describe your situation and how you have prepared to succeed at UNC.
    • College credit earned during high school may count toward a UNC degree but cannot classify you as a transfer student or count toward transfer admission requirements.

    If you plan to study in one of the following programs, you may need to submit additional application materials:

How to send in your materials

All documents and credentials must be official and sent via one of the following ways:

  • Electronically

    You can request your previous institutions send official transcripts via Parchment or they can email them to UNC.transcripts@unco.edu.

  • Postal mail

    Office of Admissions
    1051 22nd St.
    Campus Box 10
    Greeley, CO 80639

Admission criteria

You're considered a transfer student if you have attended any post-secondary institution after graduating from high school. Students who do not meet the 24 credit minimum are encouraged to apply and must include high school credential information. Students with at least a 2.0 who were in good academic standing at all previous institutions are encouraged to apply. You're a strong candidate for admission as a transfer student if you have:

  • One

    24 or more transferable credits

  • Two

    A cumulative GPA of 2.4 from all colleges or universities you've attended

Priority deadlines

We accepts applications on a rolling basis and will start considering your app as soon as it's complete. The sooner you complete your application and financial aid application, the sooner you'll hear about your admission decision and financial aid package.

  • Fall Semester

    March 1st

    Hard deadline: August 1

  • Spring Semester

    November 1st

    Hard deadline: December 1

  • Summer Semester

    March 1st

    Hard deadline: May 1

Frequently asked questions

Find the answers to common questions here...from applying to student life and everything in between!

Application materials

  • What transcripts do I have to send to UNC?

    You are required to send all college and university transcripts from all institutions you have attended. We do not make exceptions to this policy.

  • Do I really have to send my high school transcript?

    We require high school transcripts for transfer students who are transferring fewer than 30 credit hours. All other transfer students who do not have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree are required to submit proof of high school graduation (either a final high school transcript with graduation date, a diploma or a GED).

Transferring credits

  • How do I find out if my credits will transfer?

    UNC uses a tool called Transferology to allow you to determine how your courses will transfer. (Watch the Transferology how-to video.) Once you’ve entered your courses on Transferology, you might find that not all your courses have a definitive transfer equivalency. This happens when you load a course that hasn’t been transferred to UNC before, so it’s especially common if you’re an out-of-state student. Contact the Office of the Registrar (transfereval@unco.edu) directly for any remaining questions after using Transferology. Your previous credits will be officially evaluated once you are admitted to UNC, so if you are ready to apply, go ahead and do that to get the most thorough evaluation.

  • How will an associate’s degree transfer to UNC?

    If you have completed an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS) degree, your Liberal Arts Core (LAC) courses at UNC will be waived. You may receive credit for additional individual courses. If you have completed an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) or an Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree, your LACs will not be waived, but your courses will be individually evaluated.

  • How do I actually transfer my credits?

    Your application for admission to UNC requires you to submit your official transcripts from any and all institutions you’ve attended. These will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar once you are admitted to UNC. You’ll then be able to log in to your student portal account (Ursa) and use DegreeWorks to see exactly how all your past work is being applied toward your degree at UNC.

  • Where can I find more information about transferring credits?

    You can learn more about transferring credits through UNC's Office of the Registrar.

Academics

  • How long will it take to complete my degree?

    This will be completely dependent on your circumstances. Top things to consider are how many credit hours you are transferring to UNC and what your program requirements are once you get here. Transferology can help with how courses will transfer, and checking out your desired major(s) in UNC's catalog will tell you what courses are required for any of our majors. Remember, once you’re admitted, DegreeWorks will show you how your credits are transferring and what is left for your major!

  • What are LACs?

    Liberal Arts Core courses, or LACs, make up UNC’s general education requirements.

Financial aid

Housing

Living in Greeley

  • What is the cost of living in Greeley?

    As of 2018, Greeley’s cost of living is right around the national average, with slightly higher-than-average housing prices due to the influx of people to Colorado’s Front Range. We recommend using a cost of living comparison calculator to estimate whether Greeley’s cost of living is higher or lower than what you’re used to. (Note: UNC cannot guarantee the accuracy of an outside cost-of-living calculator)

  • How can I get around Greeley?

    Your UNC student ID allows you to ride the Greeley-Evans Transit buses for free, which can take you from campus to grocery stores, the mall, Target, Walmart, the post office and many other locations. See GET route details.

Student life

Bringing credits to UNC

Transfer credit

UNC requires a minimum of 120 semester credit hours to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, with a minimum of 30 credit hours taken at UNC. Your credits will automatically be evaluated after you’re admitted to UNC. The Office of the Registrar determines which credits are transferable and evaluates that coursework based on previously established equivalencies. Courses that do not have established equivalencies will be sent to academic departments responsible for reviewing new courses.

Use these resources to see how courses will transfer to UNC:

For a complete description of how UNC accepts transfer credits, visit our Registrar’s page.

Transferology

Wondering whether your courses will transfer to UNC? Enter your information in our Transferology tool to find out what the transfer equivalencies are at UNC from different institutions.

UNC courses

Ready to look at the specific course requirements for the program you’re interested in? Head over to our Course Catalog to see the most up-to-date information on your program and read about UNC’s Liberal Arts Core (LAC) curriculum.

Bear Locale

When you come to UNC, you won’t just be part of campus, although that’ll be a huge part of your experience. You’ll also be part of a growing Colorado town (well, city!) of 100,000. Here are a few of the ways you can get to know the area.

Bear Biz

Local businesses provide discounts to Bear students on services and products including food, car services, recreation, health and fitness, lodging and much more.

See full list and map of Bear Biz partners.

Handshake

Handshake is an online portal that allows students to browse internship and job opportunities both local and national. UNC is committed to supporting students as they begin to discover their passion, pave their career path and get in the professional market.

Off-Campus Life

A lot of our transfer students live on campus. But if you’re looking to live in the surrounding area, Off-Campus Housing has pages of resources on Rental listings, best practices of living off-campus and more.

Explore Greeley

Learn more about the local arts scene, entertainment, parks and more in the community. You’ll find that the university and community are intertwined, benefiting from the best of each other.

Explore Greeley