Four-year College Transfer from

Virginia Community College System

Every four-year college and university in the Commonwealth that offers undergraduate programs has some kind of transfer agreement with Virginia's public two-year colleges. Transfer offers an affordable entry point to higher education with a variety of benefits to the student beyond cost. These benefits include additional academic support for those who may not feel "college-ready" or for those who are several years beyond high school graduation. Another benefit is that every Virginian is within an hour drive of a community college - one does not have to "go away" to go to college.

Transfer, though, is not seamless. In order to improve student success, and recognize when and where success is occurring, two-year colleges that produce transfer students and four-year colleges that receive them, need to be in a partnership to provide feedback to one another. This report is designed to provide that feedback, primarily to the two-year colleges, however, four-year colleges will find these data useful as well.

Each section below provides an overview of a specific aspect of transfer. There are links embedded to guide the user to greater detail.

Numbers of Transfers

The number of transfers annually from a two-year college, is an important base from which to begin analysis. We break those annual totals down into broad categories of race/ethnicity (majority students, students of color) and subdivide those by gender. In this way we develop a sense of the scope overall trends of transfer over eight eight years. Please note that there is always a lag in the most recent year of data available since students starting college in the spring semester are included in these cohorts and annual enrollment files are reported well after the fact.
To explore more about students who transfer...

Virginia Community College System

Students Transferring from Virginia Community College System in the Fall and Spring of the Designated Year

	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
a. Total Transfers	13,728	12,652	12,151	11,910	11,662	11,558
b. Men - Total	6,198	5,658	5,412	5,233	5,063	5,052
c. Women - Total	7,529	6,994	6,739	6,669	6,599	6,502
d. Majority Students - Total	7,737	7,068	6,677	6,615	6,235	6,174
e. Majority Students - Men	3,574	3,246	3,071	2,987	2,776	2,811
f. Majority Students - Women	4,162	3,822	3,606	3,623	3,459	3,360
g. Students of Color - Total	5,991	5,584	5,474	5,295	5,427	5,384
h. Students of Color - Men	2,624	2,412	2,341	2,246	2,287	2,241
i. Students of Color - Women	3,367	3,172	3,133	3,046	3,140	3,142

Notes:

Full Legal Name - "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University" (Virginia Tech); "The College of William and Mary" (William & Mary)

Where did they Transfer?

The next question of interest "Where did they Transfer" is answered below, also with annual counts. This provides important information to the two-year college and the public about the predominant transfer routes taken by students.
To explore even more about students who transfer...

Virginia Community College System
All Students
Students Transferring from Virginia Community College System
in Fall and Spring of the Designated Year

Color variation represents the low to high variation within each column.

	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Public Institutions
Christopher Newport University (details)	128	121	117	116	105	110
George Mason University (details)	3,577	3,293	3,212	3,182	3,258	3,154
James Madison University (details)	764	678	636	631	673	676
Longwood University (details)	173	151	123	150	103	116
Norfolk State University (details)	293	242	260	202	183	181
Old Dominion University (details)	2,106	1,861	1,809	1,905	1,732	1,779
Radford University (details)	610	534	555	500	544	555
University of Mary Washington (details)	362	291	301	293	241	282
University of Virginia (details)	408	422	451	480	480	450
University of Virginia's College at Wise (details)	98	72	52	89	47	47
Virginia Commonwealth University (details)	1,628	1,585	1,460	1,490	1,484	1,353
Virginia Military Institute (details)	25	18	15	15	5	5
Virginia State University (details)	125	116	122	108	139	137
Virginia Tech (details)	706	784	749	793	760	793
William & Mary (details)	98	84	93	98	126	100
Total Public Four-Year Institutions (details)	11,101	10,252	9,955	10,052	9,880	9,738
Private Institutions
George Washington University (details)	175	188	161	140	120	92
Averett University (details)	48	45	34	36	46	56
Bluefield University (details)	108	89	86	47	24	31
Bridgewater College (details)	39	25	25	24	39	26
Christendom College (details)	2	2	4	0	3	1
Eastern Mennonite University (details)	63	51	55	33	27	19
Emory & Henry College (details)	19	28	27	25	29	23
Ferrum College (details)	30	24	18	27	18	16
Hampden-Sydney College (details)	4	2	2	3	5	3
Hampton University (details)	39	28	43	24	6	21
Hollins University (details)	10	16	17	14	9	10
Liberty University (details)	999	942	971	825	845	883
Mary Baldwin University (details)	160	102	19	1	69	85
Marymount University (details)	150	168	161	155	136	113
Randolph College (details)	24	23	13	19	13	10
Randolph-Macon College (details)	23	25	31	21	24	20
Regent University (details)	264	215	203	172	143	142
Roanoke College (details)	53	42	54	49	43	35
Shenandoah University (details)	77	85	86	88	54	80
Southern Virginia University (details)	11	12	6	3	5	8
Sweet Briar College (details)	5	6	8	9	7	5
University of Lynchburg (details)	65	55	46	46	52	45
University of Richmond (details)	56	36	33	31	19	22
Virginia Union University (details)	16	16	8	0	16	36
Virginia Wesleyan University (details)	45	39	64	44	29	38
Washington and Lee University (details)	0	0	0	0	1	0
Total Private, Four-Year Institutions (details)	2,627	2,400	2,196	1,858	1,782	1,820

Starting cohorts of fewer than 10 are excluded from reporting.

Notes:

Full Legal Name - "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University" (Virginia Tech); "The College of William and Mary" (William & Mary)

Status and Accomplishment at Transfer

Not unlike students who are first-time in college, transfer students arrive at four-year institutions with a variety of backgrounds and needs, and a collection of credits that may, or may not, have been well-chosen for ultimate success as transfer student into a bachelors degree. In this next table we observe some of these characteristics.
To explore even more about students who transfer...

Virginia Community College System
All Students
Students Transferring to Virginia Community College System in the Fall and Spring of the Designated Year

Color variation represents the low to high variation within each column.

Degree Completion	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Summary Totals
New Transfer (All)	13,728	12,652	12,151	11,910	11,662	11,558
Student Demographics
New Transfers, Age 17 to 19 yrs	1,003	1,008	1,029	1,020	1,147	1,122
New Transfers, Age 25 yrs and Older	4,071	3,711	3,324	3,253	3,074	3,051
New Transfers, Age 20 to 24 yrs	8,652	7,932	7,795	7,633	7,438	7,383
Financial Aid Programs at Entry
New Transfer with Pell	5,677	5,205	4,995	4,559	4,632	4,513
Student/Family Income at Entry
New Transfer, Family Income $0 - $49,999	5,498	5,020	4,699	4,425	4,353	4,147
New Transfer, Family Income $50,000 - $99,999	2,304	2,214	2,073	2,014	2,016	2,000
New Transfer, Family Income $100,000 - $149,999	1,237	1,219	1,161	1,157	1,097	1,178
New Transfer, Family Income $150,000 and Greater	850	852	914	960	1,049	1,070
New Transfer, Family Income Not Reported	3,839	3,347	3,304	3,354	3,147	3,163
Student Effort and Progress
Students earning 06 credits or fewer in First Year	625	543	504	614	556	327
Transfer-specific Characteristics
CC Transfer Students with 15 CC credits or Fewer	2,511	2,500	2,266	2,116	1,915	2,162
CC Transfer Students with between 16 and 30 CC credits	2,137	2,048	1,927	1,832	1,590	1,585
CC Transfer Students with 31 CC credits or Greater (No AA)	469	435	435	378	442	324
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer	7,380	6,564	6,366	6,499	6,613	6,322
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 2 or fewer years prior to Transfer	6,785	5,970	5,818	5,938	6,122	5,810
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 2.01 to 5 years prior to Transfer	448	447	408	429	357	381
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 5 or more years prior to Transfer	147	147	140	132	134	131
AAS Awarded Prior to Transfer (Occ/Technical)	1,033	952	985	947	1,019	1,113

Starting cohorts of fewer than 10 are excluded from reporting.

Notes:

Full Legal Name - "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University" (Virginia Tech); "The College of William and Mary" (William & Mary)

First Year Retention of Transfer Students

Using the same characteristics provided in the previous table, we now look at how these students fair in terms of retention into the second year of enrollment. Since the cohorts below include students transferring into the four-year institution in both the fall term and the spring term, we count a student being retained as a fall transfer enrolling in the subsequent fall, and a spring transfer enrolling in the subsequent spring. While this may miss some students who demonstrate a more intermittent style of enrollment, those students will ultimately be counted in the completion rates - assuming, of course, they complete a degree.
To explore even more about students who transfer and their retention patterns...

Virginia Community College System
All Students
Students Transferring to Virginia Community College System in Fall and Spring of the Designated Year, Retention into Second Year

Color variation represents the low to high variation within each column.

Subcohort	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Summary Totals
New Transfer (All)(detail)	82%	78%	82%	83%	82%	59%
Student Demographics
New Transfers, Age 17 to 19 yrs (detail)	87%	81%	88%	90%	87%	65%
New Transfers, Age 25 yrs and Older(detail)	76%	70%	75%	73%	73%	50%
New Transfers, Age 20 to 24 yrs(detail)	85%	82%	85%	87%	85%	63%
Financial Aid Programs at Entry
New Transfer, Full-time with CTG or CTG Plus (Transfer Grant)(detail)	90%	87%	92%	91%	89%	73%
New Transfer with Pell(detail)	81%	77%	80%	81%	82%	58%
Student Effort and Progress
Students earning 06 credits or fewer in First Year(detail)	27%	21%	23%	30%	34%	16%
Transfer-specific Characteristics
New Transfer with CTG or CTG PLUS (2010-11 forward)(detail)	90%	87%	92%	91%	89%	74%
CC Transfer Students with 15 CC credits or Fewer(detail)	77%	69%	70%	71%	69%	54%
CC Transfer Students with between 16 and 30 CC credits(detail)	85%	80%	84%	84%	84%	64%
CC Transfer Students with 31 CC credits or Greater (No AA)(detail)	75%	88%	92%	88%	88%	72%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer(detail)	87%	82%	88%	90%	88%	62%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 2 or fewer years prior to Transfer(detail)	89%	83%	90%	92%	90%	63%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 2.01 to 5 years prior to Transfer(detail)	69%	67%	67%	68%	65%	46%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 5 or more years prior to Transfer(detail)	72%	56%	73%	62%	56%	45%
AAS Awarded Prior to Transfer (Occ/Technical)(detail)	76%	69%	72%	71%	71%	48%

Starting cohorts of fewer than 10 are excluded from reporting.

Notes:

Full Legal Name - "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University" (Virginia Tech); "The College of William and Mary" (William & Mary)

How Many Completed a Four-year Degree?

As a starting point, we look at the percentage of students in each cohort/subcohort that complete a four-year degree within four-years of transfer. Four years is chosen to provide a parallel equivalent to the six-year graduation rate used for bachelors degree-seeking students. In the available detail tables, we track student success out to 10 years post-entry.
To explore even more about students who transfer and their completion patterns...

Virginia Community College System
All Students
Four-year Completion Rates of Students Transferring to Virginia Community College System in Fall and Spring of the Designated Years
All Students

Color variation represents the low to high variation within each column.

Outcomes of cohorts with fewer than 10 students are excluded from display (blank cells).

Four-year Completion Rates
Degree Completion	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20
Summary Totals
New Transfer (All) (detail)	67%	68%	64%	70%	69%
Student Demographics
New Transfers, Age 17 to 19 yrs (detail)	69%	72%	67%	72%	76%
New Transfers, Age 25 yrs and Older (detail)	57%	58%	54%	60%	58%
New Transfers, Age 20 to 24 yrs (detail)	72%	72%	69%	74%	72%
Financial Aid Programs at Entry
New Transfer, Full-time with CTG or CTG Plus (Transfer Grant) (detail)	88%	88%	84%	90%	87%
New Transfer with Pell (detail)	63%	64%	61%	67%	65%
Student Effort and Progress
Students earning 06 credits or fewer in First Year (detail)	10%	8%	10%	10%	10%
Transfer-specific Characteristics
New Transfer with CTG or CTG PLUS (2010-11 forward) (detail)	88%	87%	84%	90%	87%
CC Transfer Students with 15 CC credits or Fewer (detail)	48%	55%	48%	50%	49%
CC Transfer Students with between 16 and 30 CC credits (detail)	63%	69%	62%	67%	67%
CC Transfer Students with 31 CC credits or Greater (No AA) (detail)	78%	71%	77%	83%	80%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer (detail)	77%	76%	71%	78%	76%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 2 or fewer years prior to Transfer (detail)	79%	78%	72%	80%	78%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 2.01 to 5 years prior to Transfer (detail)	56%	57%	56%	58%	57%
AA/AS Awarded Prior to Transfer, 5 or more years prior to Transfer (detail)	65%	54%	46%	64%	54%
AAS Awarded Prior to Transfer (Occ/Technical) (detail)	62%	66%	59%	67%	67%

Notes:

Full Legal Name - "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University" (Virginia Tech); "The College of William and Mary" (William & Mary)