The transfer admission process affects one-third of students beginning at postsecondary institutions, yet relatively little public attention is focused on examining the factors that colleges consider when evaluating transfer applicants, as well as their acceptance and enrollment rates. To address this information gap, NACAC included a supplement on its 2006 Admission Trends survey to college enrollment officers to learn more about the underlying factors at work in the transfer admission process. These survey data, which were collected in partnership with a dissertation project at the Michigan State University, provide a look into the dynamics of the transfer admission process and will serve to guide future NACAC research on transfer admission.
Listen to a podcast with Andrew Flagel, author of the dissertation and associate vice president for enrollment development & dean of admission at George Mason University.
"The reality is, according to a study from a couple years ago by the Department of Education, that over 60 percent of students in the United States will transfer at some point before receiving their baccalaureate degree," Flagel explains. “I think colleges, particularly driven by some of the policies of the current administration, are realizing that transfer students are a tremendous source of quality students and diverse students, and as a result many colleges are...finally beginning to adjust to more rational transfer policies.”
Research on Transfer Students
A selection of notable research to transfer students.
Research on Community Colleges
A collection of recent research reports from external sources related to the topic of community colleges.