Excelsior University Offers an Affordable College Degree Thanks to Transfer Credits
About 60 percent of four-year college graduates have transferred from one school to another at some point during their academic journey. The question isn’t if most students will transfer; the question is how colleges will treat them when they do.
Excelsior University has long prided itself as an affordable online college that offers transferring students opportunities to apply previous educational credits and military experience toward earning a four-year degree. It’s part of the Excelsior’s commitment to grow and evolve to meet opportunities for delivering education and the changing needs of adult learners.
That commitment is seen in Excelsior’s $510 cost per credit—less than the national average — for all online bachelor’s courses. It is also reflected in generous credit transfer policies that reward students for past achievements. The following looks at some of the ways Excelsior offers affordable college degrees by accepting transfer credit.
Excelsior College’s 3+1 Program
One of the most popular credit transfer programs offered by Excelsior gives community college graduates the opportunity to continue studying at their community college while working on their bachelor’s degree. Called the 3+1 Program, it allows community college students a unique pathway toward earning an affordable online degree. This program involves four steps:
- Earn an associate’s degree at an accredited community college (usually 60 hours)
- Contact an Excelsior University admissions counselor to determine credit requirements for the bachelor’s degree the student wants to earn
- Begin work on a bachelor’s degree by taking additional courses – as many as 30 credits – at a community college, at the community college’s tuition rates
- Earn a minimum of 30 upper-level credits from Excelsior College through online courses or independent study for credit by exam to
complete a bachelor’s degree
Online Degree Programs With Generous Credit Transfer Policies
Students interested in attending Excelsior University can see the benefits of the school’s transfer credit policy in the individual programs. Here are three examples:
Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management
In this degree program, students can transfer up to 113 credits into the program. The median number of accepted credits is 50. Students can also receive credit for some health care licenses and certifications. Transfer credits typically require a minimum grade of C-. Students can have credits earned for the professional business core from as long as 20 years ago. The degree requires students to earn 120 credits for graduation.
Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts
accepts up to 113 transfer credits. The median number of accepted credits is 79. Students can also receive credits for military training. Undergraduate credits require a minimum grade of C-. There is no time limit on when students earned the credits. The degree requires students to earn 120 credits to graduate.
Bachelor of Professional Studies in Business and Management
The BPS in Business and Management program accepts up to 113 transfer credits. The median number of accepted credits is 76. Students also can receive credit for military training. All undergraduate transfer credits must have a grade of at least C-. There is no time limit on transfer credits for this program. Students need to earn 120 credit hours to graduate.
A generous credit transfer policy is one of many ways Excelsior seeks to meet the needs of adult learners. By allowing students to “start with more” when it comes to credits, the college rewards adults for what they have learned and offers them the opportunity to realize their academic goals sooner.
