Welcome Transfer Students

Thank you for your interest in transferring to Santa Clara University! To simplify our admission and application process, we’ve broken it up into five easy steps. Take a look at the information below to learn more about how to apply to Santa Clara University.

Steps to Qualify ↓

Which application is best for you? You might want to apply earlier than you think. We recommend that you review which College at Santa Clara University you wish to attend before applying.

Apply for SCU's Winter or rolling Fall application. You might have already taken enough courses to transfer to SCU. You might want to apply now!

St Ignatius statue on Santa Clara campus

SCU partners with 43 California Community Colleges. Review which subjects you may need to take prior to applying.

Two Santa Clara students on their laptops in the library

Look up how many credits you are able to transfer into SCU by academic division.

Look into SCU's highlighted resources for transfer students and learn why some of our transfer students choose to attend SCU.

Santa Clara faculty member teaching a class of students

Review some of SCU's most common Transfer Student questions. Questions regarding financial aid, transferrable credits/units, and second-degree seeking students.

STEP 1: Recommended Courses and Qualifying for Admission

Admission decisions are based on space availability in our academic programs and on the overall competitiveness of our applicant pool.

It is important that all applicants indicate School/College and major of interest in the admission application.

Find your school and major below for the average GPA and a list of recommended courses to complete before applying to transfer. Again, the courses listed below are recommended for admission, not required. For information about transferable courses and credit policies, click here.

College of Arts and Sciences

Majors - Bachelor of Arts: Art History, Chemistry, Classics (Ancient Studies, Classical Languages and Literature, Classical Studies), Communication, English, History, Individual Studies, Modern Languages (French, Italian, Spanish), Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Studio Art, Theatre Arts (emphasis in Theatre or Dance), Women's and Gender Studies

Majors - Bachelor of Science: Anthropology, Biochemistry, Biology, Child Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering Physics, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health Science, Sociology.

Two English composition courses
One college-level mathematics course for B.A. majors and two college-level mathematics courses for the B.S. majors
One natural science course with a lab
GPA 3.3

Leavey School of Business—Bachelor of Science in Commerce

Majors: Accounting, Accounting and Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Management, Management & Information Systems, Marketing.

Two English composition courses
Two calculus courses
One financial accounting course
One managerial accounting course
One macroeconomics course
One microeconomics course
GPA 3.5

School of Engineering—Bachelor of Science

Majors: Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Web Design and Engineering

Two English composition courses
Two calculus courses
One general chemistry course
Two calculus-based physics courses
GPA 3.5

STEP 2: Important Deadlines to Know

Fall Transfer Students - Academic term starts in September

January 7 to April 15 Regular Transfer rolling admission
February through mid-May Regular Transfer applicants notified of admission decision
March 2 Cal Grant GPA Verification Form (CA residents only)
March 2 Deadline to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Mid May Admitted Transfer students notified of financial aid package
June 15 Deadline for enrollment deposit

Winter Transfer Students - Academic term starts in January

August 1 Common Application opens
October 1 Deadline for Winter Transfer Application
Mid November Winter Transfer applicants notified of admission decision
November 30 Deadline for Winter Transfer enrollment deposit

*Housing is available to Transfer Students on a first-come, first-served basis. If interested, Admitted and Deposited Transfer students are encouraged to contact Housing immediately.

STEP 3: Apply

SCU uses the Common Application for transfer applicants. In addition to the Application itself, we require the following materials:

$70 non-refundable application fee or a school waiver. (Applicants who are currently attending or have most recently attended a community college receive a application fee waiver within the Common Application)
Official transcript(s) from all colleges and universities you have attended
Official copy of your final high school transcripts showing date of graduation (9th-12th grade)
Recommendation: Students with fewer than 30 semester or 45 quarter units, may choose to submit previous SAT or ACT score(s) for consideration
International Applicants: Financial Resource Form. You must complete the International Student Financial Resource Form demonstrating that you or your family can cover the total cost of the first year of attendance.
International Applicants: Meet one of our minimums. Students who do not meet the English Proficiency minimums will be denied admission.
Foreign Universities: WES course-by-course evaluation for all transcripts from foreign colleges and universities.
Mid-Term Report found on the Common Application (not required, but highly recommended)

Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business and School of Engineering are competitive and space is limited; therefore, we offer strong students the opportunity to be considered for both the original school to which they applied and the College of Arts and Sciences. You will be Undeclared in the College of Arts and Sciences as your second choice. If you enroll, you must remain in the school to which you are admitted for one year before petitioning to transfer to another school within the university.

You must indicate in the Common Application whether or not you would like to be considered for the College of Arts and Sciences should you not be admitted to your first-choice school.

Note: SCU does not require the Secondary School Report or the College Report.

We prefer that all documentation be sent online via the Common Application portal. If for some reason you must mail supplemental information, see Contact Us for our mailing address.

STEP 4: Check your Applicant Portal

Next, check your email after submitting the Common Application to get your SCU applicant portal login and account information. Make sure you have logged into your SCU applicant portal to see what materials/requirements have arrived and what you are still missing. You are responsible for completing your application on or before the deadline. Admission decisions will be posted to your applicant portal.

STEP 5: Submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA

Transfer students must complete the CSS Profile and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the time of application submission in order to be considered for any federal student aid programs and financial aid. There are no merit scholarships available for transfer applicants.