Rensselaer considers any student with 12 or more transferable college credits completed after high school as a transfer student. Transfer students may apply to all of our programs, with the exception of the accelerated medical program. Transfer students should apply via the Common App or the Coalition on SCOIR. Transfer applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Transfer students with sophomore or freshman class standing are required to live on campus for the first two semesters. Transfer student inquiries may be sent to transfer@rpi.edu.
Transfer Common Application Transfer Coalition Application (Scoir)
Transfer Application Requirements
- Transfer Common Application or Transfer Coalition Application
- Application Fee
- Official College Transcript(s)
- Letter of Recommendation (instructor or academic counselor)
- Portfolio (ARCH, EART, GSAS, MUSC only)
- Official High School Transcript(s) - For students who will have completed fewer than four semesters of college work
Transfer Application Deadlines
| Term | Application Due Date |
|---|---|
| Fall* | Apply by June 1 |
| Spring | Apply by November 1 |
| Summer** | Apply by March 1 |
- *Applicants for Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS) or Music must apply for a fall term start.
- **Architecture applicants, depending on credit requirements, will start in the summer or fall semester. Incoming architecture transfer students may not start in the spring semester.
Transfer Academic Requirements
Every year, more than 200 transfer students join our community as Rensselaer welcomes transfer students from accredited two- and four-year colleges in the United States and around the world. Admission to Rensselaer is competitive and based on academic performance.
To be considered, transfer applicants should have completed 12 or more transferable college credits, and must be in good academic standing at the institution(s) they are attending or have attended. Transfer students can be accepted into all but our accelerated programs (however, some programs may have designated start terms).
Students who graduate with an A.S. degree from a two-year college or a community college, or students currently attending a four-year college or university affiliated with Rensselaer, may transfer to Rensselaer with full junior status if accepted for admission.
You must complete at least a pre-calculus level mathematics course before you enroll at Rensselaer. In addition, most majors require students to have a completed physics course prior to enrollment. You are also strongly encouraged to pursue courses related to your intended area of study.
In general, Rensselaer looks for transfer students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. However, it’s also important that you be taking courses appropriate to your intended major. The 3.0 GPA should be seen as a guide and not a hard cutoff, as students with a GPA below 3.0 may be considered for admission.
Creative portfolios are required to be submitted for transfer applicants into the Architecture (ARCH) and Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS) programs. Applicants to the Music (MUSC) and Electronic Arts (EART) programs may submit an optional portfolio.
Transfer Financial Aid
Rensselaer offers transfer students a wide range of aid options and a staff of financial aid professionals who will work to devise the best solutions. To be considered for all available financial aid opportunities, accepted transfer students are expected to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. Financial aid inquiries may be sent to finaid@rpi.edu.
Learn more about Transfer Financial Aid
- CSS College Code: 2757
- FAFSA College Code: 002803
2:2 Transfer Programs
If you graduate with an A.S. degree from a two-year or community college affiliated with Rensselaer, you may transfer at the end of two years with full junior status if accepted for admission to Rensselaer.
- Alfred State College, NY (ENGR)
- Anne Arundel Community College, MD (ENGR, SCI)
- Berkshire Community College, MA (BMGT, ENGR)
- Broome Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Cayuga County Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Corning Community College, NY (BMGT, ENGR, HASS, SCI)
- Dutchess Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Erie Community College, NY (BMGT, ENGR)
- Fulton-Montgomery Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Greenfield Community College, MA (ENGR)
- Hudson Valley Community College, NY (BMGT, ENGR, HASS, ITWS, SCI)
- Jamestown Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Jefferson Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Miami-Dade Community College, FL (ENGR)
- Mohawk Valley Community College, NY (BMGT, ENGR, HASS, SCI)
- Monroe Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Montgomery Community College, MD (ENGR, SCI)
- Nassau Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Niagara Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Norwalk Community College, CT (ENGR)
- Onondaga Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Orange County Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Rockland Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Schenectady County Community College, NY (SCI)
- Springfield Tech Community College, MA (ENGR)
- Suffolk County Community College, NY (ENGR)
- SUNY Adirondack, NY (ENGR)
- Tompkins-Cortland Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Ulster Community College, NY (ENGR)
- Westchester Community College, NY (ENGR)
3:2 Engineering Program
Designed for students at select liberal arts colleges who decide to enter the field of engineering, and who, after completing three years (through the junior year) at their liberal arts college, transfer to Rensselaer’s School of Engineering. Most students accepted for this program have achieved at least a B average, with grades of A or B in their calculus, calculus-based physics, and chemistry courses.
How to Apply
Interested students apply for the program during the fall or spring of their junior year by submitting a transfer application and following the transfer application instructions.
- Amherst College, MA
- Atlanta University Center:
- Clark Atlanta University, GA
- Morehouse College, GA
- Morris Brown College, GA
- Spelman College, GA
- Bates College, ME
- Beloit College, WI
- Colgate University, NY
- College of William & Mary, VA
- Colorado College, CO
- Denison University, OH
- Dickinson College, PA
- Earlham College, IN
- Fairfield University, CT
- Franklin & Marshall College, PA
- Gettysburg College, PA
- Grinnell College, IA
- Hamilton College, NY
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges, NY
- Hope College, MI
- Ithaca College, NY
- Kenyon College, OH
- Knox College, IL
- Lawrence University, WI
- Lincoln University, PA
- Middlebury College, VT
- Ohio Wesleyan University, OH
- Pace University, all campuses
- Reed College, OR
- Ripon College, WI
- Roberts Wesleyan College, NY
- Russell Sage College, NY
- Sacred Heart, CT
- St. John Fisher College, NY
- St. Lawrence University, NY
- Siena College, NY
- Skidmore College, NY
- State University of New York at Fredonia, NY
- State University of New York at Oneonta, NY
- University of the South, TN
Two years of carefully planned study at Rensselaer complete the requirements for the bachelor’s program of the liberal arts college and the B.S. degree with a major in engineering at Rensselaer, with students receiving degrees from both Rensselaer and the liberal arts college.
Although it is the intention of this program and every effort will be made on the part of both institutions to follow the 3-2 format, certain situations, including selection of courses and engineering major, may necessitate the requirement of the student to spend either an additional semester(s) of study beyond two years at Rensselaer and/or overload the number of credits normally taken by an engineering student at Rensselaer for one or more semesters to meet the engineering degree requirements at Rensselaer.
The Arch
The Arch is a unique approach to education that provides flexibility in the semester schedule, allowing students to pursue professional and personal development opportunities that prepare them to meet the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century.
Incoming transfer students with sophomore or freshman standing will be required to participate in The Arch. Incoming transfer students with junior standing will not be required to participate in The Arch.
- Rising juniors attend a full academic summer semester, The Arch, between their sophomore and junior year.
- The Arch away semester is an opportunity for students to pursue their passion, follow their dreams, and make a difference all while gaining valuable experience during the fall or spring semester of their junior year.
More information about The Arch.
