See the Forbes article on 7 transfer students that have changed the world! Click here!  

Transfer credits are when previous learning completed at one school is recognized at another. In these cases, students are able to use previous education towards obtaining an additional Diploma or Degree.  

Did you know that- 60,000 students transfer EACH YEAR.  

Benefits to transferring credits:

• Ability to build foundation for the next level of education.  

• Many programs offer students with a 2-year Diploma the ability to transfer directly into 3rd year University.

• '2+2' programs can reduce the cost of obtaining a Degree, as the first 2 years of college tuition are typically less than university tuition. 

• Many students graduating from a degree program at University are attending College upon graduation in order to obtain Graduate Certificates, in order to increase their chances of employability.  

• Many Colleges and Universities offer Bridging Programs - rather than Transfer Credits, students can apply to a 2 semester Bridging Program that allows students to go from their Diploma to a Degree.  An excellent example of this is completing Practical Nursing and moving on to Registered Nursing. 

It is important to do your research to ensure that the credits or programs you are pursuing are transferable to the institution of your choice.  

Understanding Transfer Process FAQs

• Colleges are developing more and more relationships with universities where credit transfers are clearly defined. Speak to a college admissions representative directly to learn of what opportunities pertain to your personal interests.   Click here to review numerous Collaborative University and College Programs.  Ontransfer can help navigate thousands of agreements between schools, but students must do their research at the college and university level to fully understand the options.  Check the PATHWAYS tab on individual college websites when researching programs of interest. 

• The top five transfer programs in Ontario are:

  • Business

  • Health

  • Social Science

  • Engineering

  • General Arts

• Students in business diploma programs can now transfer between any of Ontario’s colleges with full credit recognition. This first-of-its-kind transfer agreement applies to accounting, business administration, human resources and marketing programs, and colleges are already working to develop similar agreements in other areas of study.

There may be additional requirements such as, reference letters, tests, auditions etc.  Always check the details of the program to which you are looking to apply.  For more information, see:

• College: ontariocolleges.ca

• University: https://www.ontariouniversitiesinfo.ca/ and ouac.on.ca

• Indigenous Institutes: iicontario.ca