Eligibility
Yale admissions officers determine an applicant’s eligibility during the evaluation process. Review these policies to determine if applying for transfer admission is right for you.
The Admissions Committee reviews transfer applications holistically to determine eligibility and transferable credit.
Guidelines for transferring credit
The Yale admissions office does not conduct transfer credit reviews before evaluating an application. Admitted transfer students receive an estimate of their transferable credits at the time of admission. Review these guidelines to understand which college courses are likely to transfer for Yale credit.
Yale College does not measure credit by credit hours, but by course credits—normally one credit for each term course. Yale students must complete 36 course credits to receive their bachelor’s degree. Incoming transfer students may transfer up to the equivalent of 18 Yale course credits earned at one or more colleges and must complete a minimum of 18 course credits at Yale.
Completed college courses that are similar to those offered at Yale in subjects taught in Yale College are usually transferable. Many courses in English, math (statistics, calculus I and above), psychology, biology, computer science, physics, history, economics, political science, chemistry, non-English languages, and philosophy are usually transferable for Yale course credit.
Courses in subjects not offered at Yale—such as communications, criminal justice, business, nursing, and military fields—are not transferable.
College courses graded on a Pass/Fail basis do not typically transfer to Yale. Transfer students must achieve a letter grade of A or B in at least three-quarters of transferable non-Yale courses, with no grade lower than C in the remainder of transferable courses.
Transferable coursework must have been completed at a fully accredited postsecondary institution.
Yale College students declare a major by the end of sophomore year. Most majors are open to transfer students, but some departments have specific rules or prerequisites that may prevent some transfer students from pursuing the major within their available semesters. Details of required coursework by major can be found in the Yale College Programs of Study.
Prospective transfer students who intend to major in engineering should plan to complete a full sequence of college-level single-variable calculus (or higher) and a full sequence of college-level introductory physics prior to transferring.
Transfer students who are granted second-semester sophomore or junior standing and are interested in a Yale major that requires a sophomore-year application are encouraged to communicate with the director of undergraduate studies in that major after being offered admission.
Regardless of their major, all Yale College students fulfill a set of distributional requirements by taking a minimum of two course credits each in the humanities and arts, the sciences, and the social sciences. Students also fulfill skills requirements by taking at least two course credits each in quantitative reasoning, and writing, and one to three course credits to demonstrate foreign language proficiency.
Credits transferred from other colleges may be used to fulfill distributional requirements, as determined by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Online courses from other institutions may be eligible for Yale credit under limited conditions. The online courses must include regular, synchronous interaction with the instructor, as well as regular feedback. Online courses may not be applied towards a distributional requirement.
Pending review by the director of the transfer program, up to two asynchronous online course credits may be approved for credit as part of the transfer process.
Yale does not award transfer course credit for Advanced Placement (AP) results; International Baccalaureate (IB) results; College Level Placement Exams (CLEP); or college credits earned while a student was enrolled in high school.
Comparing Yale’s transfer and Eli Whitney students programs
Some prospective students are eligible through both to both the transfer program and the Eli Whitney students program. Yale accepts the Transfer Common Application for both programs, but there are several key differences:
| Component | Transfer Program | Eli Whitney Students Program |
|---|---|---|
| Education interruption | None or minimal interruption | Interruption of five or more years |
| Required testing | ACT, AP, IB, or SAT | Optional |
| Credit transfer | 1-2 years transferable college credit | No transferable credit floor or ceiling |
| Enrollment | Full-time only | Full-time or part-time |
| Housing | On-campus housing available for single students | Limited number of graduate housing units available; most live off-campus |
| Financial aid eligibility | Need-based financial aid | Need-based financial aid |
| Financial aid coverage | Meet 100% of financial need; awards based on full cost of attendance | Meet 100% of financial need; awards based on full cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. |
Transfer admission: learn more
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Requirements
Yale requires academic evaluations, a college report, transcripts and standardized test scores.
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Timeline
Transfer applicants apply to begin in the fall semester. Learn about when and how to apply.
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Eligibility and Credits
Learn about which college credits are likely to transfer to Yale and who eligible to apply through the transfer program.
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Standardized Testing
Yale’s test-flexible policy requires applicants to submit scores from one or more of the following exams: ACT, AP, IB, or SAT.
