Transfer to the California State University CSU
Transfer to the California State University CSU
California State University
As the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, the California State University (CSU) is committed to providing high quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. Today one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU with living Cal State alumni totaling more than four million. With its 23 campuses across the state, the CSU offers more than 4,200 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in over 500 subject areas, as well as teaching credential programs. The CSU provides the majority of the skilled professional workers that are critical to the state’s knowledge-based industries such as agriculture, engineering, business, technology, media, and computer science. In addition, the CSU is the state’s leading provider of graduates in services that are critical to the state, providing more than 80 percent of the college degrees in criminal justice, education, social work and public administration.
Each year, nearly 50,000 transfer students enter the CSU and 92% of those are transfer students from California Community Colleges (CCC). In fall 2022, 1,485 of these students transferred from one of the three VCCCD colleges. Transfer students who begin their educational program at a CCC are as successful academically as students who enter the CSU from a California high school. Over two-thirds of students who receive a baccalaureate degree from the CSU begin their educational program at a CCC.
The key to a successful transfer is early planning to ensure that students complete courses that meet the admission, general education and lower-division major preparation requirements. The CSU seeks to assist CCC students in preparing for transfer and completing their baccalaureate degree at one of the 23 CSU campuses.
The CSU gives priority admission consideration to CCC students who meet the CSU upper-division transfer admission requirements. However, the highest admission priority is given to CCC students who have earned a CCC Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).
CSU Campuses
- California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt
- California State University, Chico
- Sonoma State University
- California State University, Sacramento
- California State University, Maritime Academy
- California State University, East Bay
- San Francisco State University
- San Jose State University
- California State University, Stanislaus
- California State University, Monterey Bay
- California State University, Fresno
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- California State University, Bakersfield
- California State University, Northridge
- California State University, Channel Islands
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
- California State University, San Bernardino
- California State University, Los Angeles
- California State University, Fullerton
- California State University, Dominguez Hills
- California State University, Long Beach
- California State University, San Marcos
- San Diego State University
References: https://www.calstate.edu/attend/student-services/Documents/csu-admission-handbook.pdf
California State University Requirements
California State University (CSU) Minimum Transfer Admission Requirements
All California State University campuses welcome applications from transfer students. A student who completes college units after the summer following graduation from high school is considered to be a transfer student. The CSU gives priority admission consideration to California Community College (CCC) students who meet the CSU upper-division transfer admission requirements. However, the highest admission priority is given to CCC students who have earned a CCC Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). CCC students will be considered as having achieved junior class level standing once they have completed the ADT or at least 60 semester (90 quarter) transferable-level units that meet their lower-division major requirements. The number of units completed at the time a student enters a CSU determines the admission standards that will apply to their application.
A student who is planning to transfer to one of the campuses of the California State University (except CSU Maritime Academy) can satisfy the minimum admission criteria by meeting the following requirements:
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Transferring with an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)
CCC students who are awarded an associate degree for transfer (AA-T/AS-T) and meet the CSU minimum admission requirements are guaranteed admission with junior standing and are given priority admission consideration when applying to a program that has been deemed similar to the degree earned at the student’s community college. An up-to-date list of associate degrees for transfer offered by CCC, and CSU campuses where majors are aligned with those associate degrees for transfer and deemed similar can be found at Associate Degree for Transfer Major and Campus Search. Once admitted, the student will only be required to complete 60 additional prescribed semester units to qualify for a similar baccalaureate degree.
The Transfer Associate (AA-T/AS-T) Degrees include:-
60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) of coursework eligible for transfer to the CSU, including General Education: Cal-GETC (students with catalog rights prior to Fall 2025 can continue on the CSU GE and IGETC.)
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At least 18 semester units of coursework in the major or area of emphasis as defined by the CCC AA-T or AS-T degree. All courses in the major must be completed with a grade of C or better or a “P” if the course is taken on a “pass-no-pass” basis. Even though a “pass-no-pass” is allowed, it is recommended that students complete their major courses with a letter grade.
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ADT applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all transfer-level work completed. While a minimum of 2.0 is deemed eligible for transfer into a CSU program, some majors may require a higher GPA. Please consult the assist.org website and/or with a counselor for more information.
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Complete Residency requirements. For students in the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD), a minimum of 12 units must be completed in residence within the district.
Note: SB 1440 does not guarantee a student admission to a specified major or campus, but requires the California State University to grant a student priority admission consideration to the local CSU campus and to a program or major that is similar to the transfer AA-T and AS-T degree as determined by the California State University. With this degree, students may be given a GPA bump when applying to an impacted campus outside their local area or an impacted major that is deemed similar.
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Upper Division Transfer Requirements
To qualify for admission as an upper-division transfer, applicants must complete 60 or more semester (or 90 or more quarter) transferable units and have met the following requirements:-
The applicant must complete at least 30 semester (45 quarter) units of general education (GE) courses. Applicants may visit assist.org for a full listing of courses at each CCC that meet Cal-GETC requirements or see the Cal-GETC courses list in this catalog for applicable college courses.
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The applicant must complete transferable courses (Cal-GETC areas 1A, 1B, and 1C) in written communication, oral communication, and critical thinking with grades of C or better.
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The applicant must complete one transferable course (Cal-GETC area 2) in mathematics or quantitative reasoning with a grade of C or better.
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The applicant must have achieved a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better in all transferable college units attempted.
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The applicant is expected to be in good standing at the last college or university attended (i.e. eligible to re-enroll at that college or university).
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Lower Division Transfer Requirements
An applicant who completes fewer than 60 semester (90 quarter) units of college credit is considered a lower-division transfer student. Due to enrollment pressures, some CSU campuses do not admit lower-division transfers. Be sure to check with the specific CSU campus if you are considering transferring as a lower-division student.
Having fewer than 60 semester (90 quarter) units at the point of transfer may affect eligibility for registration priority at CSU campuses and may affect the student’s financial aid status. Consult with your CCC counselor for more information about transferring with fewer than 60 semester units
Transfer applicants with fewer than 60 semester (90 quarter units) must:-
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C) or better in all transferable units attempted;
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Have completed, with a grade of C- or better, a course in written communication and a course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning at a level satisfying Cal-GETC Areas 1A, 1B, 1C, and 2 requirements, respectively;
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Be in good standing at the last institution attended; and
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Meet any one of the eligibility standards listed below:
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Transfer Based on Current Admission Criteria: The applicant meets the freshman admission requirements in effect for the term for which the application is filed and submits an official high school transcript for eligibility verification.
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Transfer Based on Making Up Missing Subjects: The applicant had a qualifying GPA, has made up any missing college preparatory subject requirements with a grade of C- or better and has been in continuous attendance in an accredited college since high school graduation. One baccalaureate-level course of at least three semester (four quarter) units is usually considered equivalent to one year of high school study. (Note: Due to enrollment pressures, some CSU campuses do not admit lower-division transfers. Some campuses may require lower-division transfer students to complete specific college coursework as part of their admission criteria. Visit www.calstate.edu/apply and click on “Application Dates and Deadlines” to confirm which CSUs offer admission to lower division transfer applicants.)
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Nonresident Transfer Students: Nonresident transfer students are held to the same admission requirements as California residents.
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Preparing to Transfer to the California State University System
Students planning to transfer to one of the California State Universities must keep the following requirements in mind when selecting courses:
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Completion and Certification of General Education (GE) is Strongly Recommended: The CSU requires completion of at least 43 semester (~64 quarter) units of general education (GE). Of the 43 semester units, at least nine semester (12 quarter) units must be upper-division courses taken at the CSU campus awarding the degree. It is highly recommended that CCC students complete the 34 lower-division GE units while attending a CCC campus prior to transfer to the CSU. Starting in Fall 2025, new students enrolling with the intent to transfer will follow the new California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) to fulfill all lower-division GE requirements at any CSU campus or any UC campus. Certification waives additional lower-division general education requirements that each CSU campus otherwise requires. It is important that students request certification prior to transfer. Certification is not automatic. Students can complete their GE by either of the following patterns:
- Cal-GETC
- CSU GE-Breadth or IGETC, with prior Fall 2025 catalog rights
- NOTE: American Institutions Requirement: The CSU requires each student to be knowledgeable about the Constitution of the United States, American history, and state and local government. The “U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement” is generally known as the American Institutions requirement. While not a part of GE, it is still a graduation requirement at all CSU campuses. Students may complete this requirement while at a community college. All CCCs have designated courses that satisfy the CSU’s American Institutions requirement.
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Prerequisite Courses for the Major: Some lower-division courses in the student’s major must be taken prior to transfer in order for the student to be admitted into a particular major. Some majors may also require concentration courses or additional support courses. For a complete list of major and supporting requirements at your CSU destination campus and their comparable courses at this college, go to www.assist.org.
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Supplemental Admission Criteria/Impacted Majors: In the CSU, an undergraduate major or campus is designated as impacted when it receives more qualified applicants than either the campus or the major can accommodate. In such instances, the CSU campuses have been authorized to use supplemental admission criteria in considering applicants to these majors and/or campuses. These supplemental admission criteria and actions may include, but are not limited to:
- Cease accepting admission applications at the conclusion of the initial filing period (which ends December 2 for fall 2025 admission);
- Set a higher minimum GPA than that required for CSU admission;
- Review additional characteristics, such as socioeconomic or educational factors, space availability in a program or major, indications of overcoming educational obstacles or exceptional talents;
- Require completion of four years of college preparatory mathematics and/or at least three years of college preparatory science courses for freshmen applicants applying to STEM major programs; or
- Require completion of specified lower-division general education requirements for transfer applicants.
There are subtle, yet important, differences between major and campus impaction. "Campus impaction" or "level impaction" means that a university has reached its enrollment capacity for instructional resources and physical support and cannot accommodate all the eligible undergraduate applications it receives. In this case, the university has established a local admission area, which means that in general, applications received from students outside the designated local area will be held to higher admission requirements than those received from students inside the local area. Major impaction means that the number of applications from fully eligible students to a designated major on a CSU campus during the initial filing period far exceeds the number of spaces available in that major. However, students can still be admitted to the campus in an alternate major, or they may eventually be admitted to the oversubscribed major if they meet the supplemental admission criteria.
Students interested in an impacted major or campus must apply for admission during the initial admission application filing period (Oct. 1–Nov. 30 for fall admission) and should strive to make themselves as competitive as possible, both in course preparation and GPA. Applicants to majors that are impacted should apply to additional CSU campuses to maximize the opportunity for admission.
Most majors are impacted at the upper-division level only. Freshmen and lower-division transfers often are admitted as pre-majors and must complete prerequisite coursework at the campus prior to consideration for admission to the impacted major. Impacted majors and campuses accept no applications for admission after the initial filing period. A number of CSU campuses are impacted in some majors or class levels, but the following schools are impacted for all applicants:- Fresno State University
- CSU Fullerton
- CSU Long Beach
- CSU Los Angeles
- San Diego State University
- San Jose State University
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
The website assist.org will provide information about required coursework in impacted majors. For the most up-to-date information on campus impaction and impacted programs, please go to Impaction at the CSU.
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Redirection: If a student applies to a campus or major that will not have the capacity to admit all applicants, the student may be eligible to be redirected to an alternate CSU campus with no additional application fee required. Redirection is available to upper-division transfer students and ADT students applying to the CSU that are California residents for tuition purposes, CSU-eligible and have not been admitted to any CSU to which they applied. Applicants who have been accepted to at least one CSU campus will not be redirected. Redirection occurs after all campuses report their admission decisions. For fall admission, this will begin in early April. For spring admission, this will begin in November. Eligible applicants who have not been admitted to any CSU campus(es) to which they applied will then be contacted by email with instructions on next steps. When students receive the email, they should visit the Cal State Apply website and, in the Supporting Information section under Redirection, select a first- and a second-choice campus. Available alternate campuses are based on campus capacity. For more information on redirection, please see Redirection on Cal State Apply.
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Transferability of Courses: Only courses considered as appropriate for baccalaureate credit are transferable. In this catalog, these courses are indicated in their course descriptions by the notation “Transfer credit: CSU.” A maximum of 70 semester (105 quarter) baccalaureate units earned at community colleges may be transferred to the CSU. Community college coursework completed above the 70 units may be used to meet general education (GE), elective units, or major preparation requirements even if the units will not count toward the baccalaureate degree. Credit for external exams such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) will not count in the 70 unit limit. Transfer credit is also granted to students who successfully complete equivalent courses at other accredited four-year colleges or universities and those courses are also not included in the 70 unit limit.
The notation that a course provides transfer credit to the CSU only demonstrates that the units will provide credit toward the bachelor's degree after transfer, it does not indicate how a particular course will fulfill major requirements, which is determined by articulation. Articulation is the process of developing a formal written and published agreement that identifies courses from a "sending" college (usually a CCC) that are acceptable in lieu of specific courses at a "receiving" campus (generally a four-year institution such as a CSU campus). Articulation of courses from a CCC to a CSU is important to ensure transfer students are taking courses that may meet lower-division major preparation course requirements. Articulation agreements between the colleges of the VCCCD and CSU campuses by major can be found on assist.org. Keep in mind that CCC courses or other courses may be transferred without being articulated, but articulation guarantees that courses taken will fulfill requirements as specified on the articulation agreement. For which general education requirements a course meets there is a notation below the course description that indicates which areas of CSU GE-Breadth, IGETC, and/or Cal-GETC that course has been approved to meet. The Cal-GETC courses list in this catalog can also be used to determine if a course can be used to fulfill a particular GE area. -
Transfer Grade Point Average: Calculations of transfer grade point averages include all transferable units attempted at all colleges attended and are part of transfer admission requirements.
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Applying to the CSU: Students are strongly encouraged to apply electronically at Cal State Apply.
- File a CSU admission application online through Cal State Apply as early as possible. The application period for fall admission is October 1st through November 30th. Some campuses may have different deadlines based on the number of students applying for admission to that campus.
- Applicants are requested to identify the completed, pending or in progress AA-T/AS-T degree on their Cal State Apply application. Preliminary verification of the degree is done by the community college via the ADT e-Verify site for inclusion in campus admission decisions. Final verification of the awarded ADT is done upon submission of official transcripts showing the posted degree.
- If you have college/university coursework in progress, have the final transcripts sent to the CSU campus admission office as soon as the most recent grades have been posted.
Final Transcripts
Final official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended and/or external credit documentation must be submitted prior to CSU enrollment to verify that the student is eligible for admission. CSU campuses may rescind admission, delay admission, or not permit registration or attendance until receipt of final transcripts and admission eligibility has been verified. Students must request that official transcripts be sent directly to the CSU campus from all colleges or universities previously attended, even if no coursework was completed. If no coursework was completed at a college and/or university previously attended, an official statement regarding non-enrollment or a letter of non-attendance must be submitted. Transcripts must be received in sealed envelopes from each institution attended. In some cases, transcripts may be sent electronically to CSU campuses. Students should keep personal copies of all transcripts and test scores for admission application and academic advising sessions. High school transcripts and SAT/ACT test scores are not required for upper-division transfer students. Note: Most CSU campuses will admit transfer students based on courses "in progress" but some will not. Please consult the specific CSU campus or their published materials for campus-specific transfer admission information.
These admission requirements are subject to change. Students should consult a counselor and/or the Cal State Apply website for the most up-to-date transfer requirements.
Reference: The CSU Admission Handbook 2025-2026