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NC Community College Applicants: Transfer and Guaranteed Admission Information for NC 4-Year Schools

NC Community Colleges offer flexible, affordable, and accessible educational options, including college-transfer programs, short-term workforce training, basic skills instruction, dual enrollment for high school students, career and technical education, and apprenticeships. The system is the third-largest in the United States, with more than 275 programs of study aimed at preparing North Carolina residents for the workforce.

Now, more than ever, many students are considering staying closer to home for their first year or two of college. With 58 excellent community colleges across the state, chances are that there is a school very close to you! Students enrolling in an NC Community College who are interested in pursuing a 4-Year Degree may move on to a college or university within the UNC System or the North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities. There are many options for this transition.

Two possible pathways are 1) Guaranteed Admission/ Transfer Assured Admission/Transfer Partners and 2) Traditional Transfer.

Guaranteed Admission/Transfer Assured Admission/Transfer Partners: Many four-year colleges in North Carolina, including most public universities (UNC System Institutions) and several private or independent colleges or universities (NCICU), offer programs for automatic admission to NC Community College students.  These programs allow for a seamless transfer by eligible NC Community College students who meet certain academic requirements and complete a two-year degree. Some of these programs even allow the NC Community College students to be considered enrolled at a four-year institution and eligible to use the student resources on the four-year campus, even allowing them to attend sporting events. These programs vary from school to school, so applicants should contact the admissions office of their Community College for more information.

CFNC has consolidated much information in this printable, shareable resource.  Please note, however, that this is not an exhaustive list and there may be other programs that are not listed.

Traditional Transfer:  Many students are more familiar with the traditional transfer process.  A student begins at an NC Community College or other two-year or four-year college and later decides to transfer to another school to complete his or her degree. This process involves determining what credits will transfer, and submitting an application for transfer, among other steps.

Transfers are often dependent on major or course of study and transferability of coursework, while guaranteed admissions/transfer assured admission/transfer partner programs most often require simply the completion of an associate’s degree while maintaining a certain grade or GPA level.