College Transferring

Since the 1970s, there has been a rise in the number of women, low-income, minority, and nontraditional age students entering college for the first time. As the demographic composition of American undergraduates has changed, so has the typical college experience. Today, well over 50 percent of undergraduates attend more than one institution. Transferring between different schools and types of schools (two- and four-year) has become increasingly common, and these patterns have become representative of larger inequalities in higher education. The traditional college transfer is a student moving from a two-year college to a four-year college or university. However, in recent years, not only are more students transferring than ever before, they are also moving among more institutions and in different directions.

There are many variations in ...