We recognize that many student choose to change schools at some point in their academic career. Purchase is an excellent option for students coming from community college (with or without an associate’s degree) seeking a four-year campus,or seeking a more affordable option or just looking for a more open and liberal campus community.

Transfer students make up about a third of our student body, so we’re no strangers to your questions and concerns. Our admissions team and academic advisors are here to support your transition. You can even get a headstart on mapping our your course with our 8-semester plans or transfer equivalencies database.

We recommend that all candidates pursue a challenging curriculum and successfully complete 24 college credits as well as have earned a high school diploma or equivalent prior to applying to Purchase. Transfer students who have completed fewer than 24 college credits will be evaluated on their high school coursework and test scores in addition to their college coursework.

Students must disclose all colleges that they have attended on their application to Purchase and have an official transcript sent from each one. Failure to disclose this information will result in our inability to transfer credits from that college at any point in time and may result in campus judicial charges. 

Candidates with more than four semesters of college coursework may want to consider our Liberal Studies degree completion options. All admission decisions are conditional, contingent upon the successful completion of all college coursework.

Students interested in our BFA and Mus B programs should be prepared to enroll at the college for four years. Students transferring into the Creative Writing and New Media programs typically take three years to complete their programs.