Transfer to a California State University
There are 23 campuses in the California State University (CSU) system, priority admission is typically given to students who live within the local area of the CSU ad/or to students with an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). Current high school seniors can consider a guarantee through the CSU Dual Admissions program.
CSU Transfer Guide
- Completion of 60 CSU transferable units
- Completion of "the Golden Four" with a grade of C or better for each course. Go to the CSU "Golden Four" Completion webpage for course completion rules.
- One Oral Communication course: Communication Studies 101, 104, 121, or 151
- One Written Communication course: English 101
- One Critical Thinking course: Communication Studies 104; English 102 or 103; Journalism 109; Philosophy 5, 6, or 9; Political Science 5; Psychology 66
- One Math course: CS 131; Finance 1, 8; Math 215, 227, 228B, 229, 238, 240, 260, 261, 262, 275; Sociology 125; Statistics 101
- Minimum 2.0 GPA
- A higher GPA will help you be a more competitive applicant. The major, campus, and/or applicant pool may require a higher GPA due to competitive or highly-impacted campuses/programs.
- Select a Major, consider the Associate Degree Transfer or ADT Program & the CSU Transfer Success Pathway
- Complete your General Education (GE) coursework by following the CSU GE Breadth Certification Plan or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
- Complete your Major Preparation coursework for each campus. Major requirements are found on Assist.org
As you get ready to apply to the CSU, you may find that a campus or undergraduate major you are considering is "impacted," meaning there are more applications from qualified applicants than there are available spaces. If you are interested in an impacted major or campus, apply broadly to multiple campuses.
- Impacted Undergraduate Majors and Campuses
- CSU Local Admission and Service Areas
- East Bay Impacted Major Info
- Fresno Impacted Major Info
- Fullerton Impacted Major Info
- Long Beach CSULB Selection Criteria
- Los Angeles Impacted Major Info
- Monterey Bay Impacted Major Info
- Northridge | Impacted Major Info
- Pomona Impacted Major Info
- Sacramento Impacted Major Info
- San Bernardino | Impacted Major Info
- San Diego | San Diego Major Selection Criteria
- San José Impacted Major Info
- San Luis Obispo CPSLO Selection Criteria
- San Marcos Impacted Major Info
- Sonoma Impacted Major Info
No Campus Impaction: Meet minimum admission requirements = Campus Admission (all but nursing)
- Bakersfield
- Channel Islands
- Chico
- Dominguez Hills
- East Bay
- Fresno
- Humboldt
- Maritime Academy
- Monterey Bay
- San Francisco
- Stanislaus
Note: Non-impacted campuses may have impacted majors or programs. Impacted majors/programs require additional requirements
Apply the year before you would like to attend. For example:
- Apply: Fall 2025 (October 1-November 30)
- Finish last class at Pierce: Spring 2026
- Transfer: Fall 2026
Which CSU Campuses are Still Accepting Applications?
Go to the Pierce Application Resources web page to get started
Go to the Pierce Application Resources web page to get started.
Go to the Cal State Apply web page to begin your application.
Get help in the Transfer Center with your application!
- Fall Term Application submission period, October 1-November 30
- Spring Term Application submission period, August 1-30**
- CSU Transfer Success Pathway- Apply by September 30 in you first year of college
Who is a Lower-Division Transfer Student (LDT)?
Please note: Due to enrollment demands, most CSU campuses restrict or prohibit the admission of lower-division transfer (LDT) students who have earned fewer than 60 transferable semester units.
If you have completed 59 or fewer transferable semester units by the time you plan to enter a CSU, you are considered a lower-division transfer (LDT) applicant. Please check with the campus before applying.
Admission Requirements for LDT Students
To be admitted to the California State University as a lower-division transfer (LDT) student, you must:
- have completed “a-g” course requirements in high school;
- have graduated from high school (received a high school diploma or General Educational Development, or GED, certificate);
- minimum CSU admission eligibility requirements of a first-time freshman;
- have achieved an overall college GPA of at least 2.00 (This GPA is calculated using all your transfer units attempted. In case of high-demand majors and campuses, a GPA of 2.00 may not be sufficient to be admitted);
- be in good standing at the last college or university you attended. (In simple terms, “good standing” means you are eligible to re-enroll at your last college or university); and
- have completed, with a grade of C- or better, a course in GE Section A2 in written communication and a course in GE section B4 in mathematics or quantitative reasoning.
Resources
- CSUN Appeal Information
- A Degree with a Guarantee
- CSU Degree Search
- CSU Cost of Attendance
- CSU Online Degree Programs
- CASPER (Campus Admissions Specific Practices)
*Meeting minimum admissions requirements will allow you to apply to the campuses and merit an application review. However, it does not necessarily mean that you will be selected or admitted to the campus.
**CSU Campuses are not always open for Spring Transfer. Go to the Cal State Apply web page for details.
