Flexible Credit Options

At Excelsior College, what you know is more important than where you learned it. We grant academic credit for knowledge gained in many ways—including courses, exams, military experience, and professional training. Most Excelsior students draw upon numerous sources of credit, graduating with some combination of transfer credits, Excelsior courses, and exam-earned credits.

Excelsior grants maximum credit for what you already know, and we make it easy to earn the credits you still need to graduate. That's what makes us so popular among working adults, and why we're widely known as one of America's top transfer schools.

More Credit for Prior Learning = A Shorter Path to Graduation

Excelsior grants a higher number of transfer credits, from more different sources, than most U.S. colleges. You can apply as many as 116 transfer credits toward a bachelor's degree, leaving you with just a handful of credits to finish your degree.

In addition to transferring credits you've earned through coursework from other accredited colleges, you may be able to get academic credit for college-level learning acquired outside the classroom.

You may already be close to a degree, once you add up all the credits you've earned via:

 

 

  

Prior college courses. Excelsior's liberal transfer policies enable you to get maximum credit for your previous college work. 

  

Military training. Excelsior accepts more than 50,000 credits for military training each year—one reason we're known as one of the nation's most military-friendly colleges.

  

Professional certifications. You may be able to get Excelsior academic credit for your nursing license, IT certification, or other professional credential.

  

Proficiency exams. Contact an Excelsior admissions counselor to see if you can get credit for proficiency exams you've passed, including CLEP, DSST, and AP exams.

Multiple Ways to Earn New Credit = Maximum Flexibility

  

Excelsior College offers convenient, affordable ways to earn new credits, giving you the flexibility you need to finish your degree.

You can earn new credits from any combination of online courses, credit-bearing exams, and portfolio-based projects. And with Excelsior's distance-learning model, you can take courses and exams when they fit most conveniently into your schedule.

It all adds up to maximum flexibility, allowing you to balance your education with work and family responsibilities.

Excelsior College courses. Our courses are available 24/7, either online or via CD-ROM, so you can do the work wherever and whenever it's most convenient. Excelsior College Courses are scheduled on a rotating eight-week basis, so you can slot them into your life at the most convenient times—perfect for balancing school with work and family.

  

Credit by exam. Save time and money by earning a full course's worth of credits in a single test. Pass the exam, and you earn full course credit—and move toward a degree quickly and affordably. Dozens of courses can be completed via Excelsior College Exams and other types of credit-bearing exams.

  

Protfolio-based assessment. Convert work experience, community service, and other life experiences into college-level credit.