Community college transfer in Connecticut
A complete guide to how to transfer from a community college to a university in Connecticut — including the state's 13 accredited community colleges, the major receiving universities, and the statewide articulation programs that govern credit transfer.
How transfer works in Connecticut
Two-year colleges in Connecticut serve as the primary on-ramp to a bachelor's degree for tens of thousands of in-state residents each year. The state's 13 accredited community colleges enroll a median of 3,932 students each, charge an average of $4,932 per year for in-state residents, and transfer roughly 34% of incoming degree-seeking students into a four-year institution within six years.
Like most U.S. states, Connecticut coordinates community-college-to-university transfers through a combination of statewide articulation agreements, common course-numbering schemes, and institution-specific transfer pathways. A student who completes the state's transfer-oriented associate degree — typically an AA or AS bearing a "transfer" or "university parallel" designation — usually receives junior standing at the receiving public university, with all general-education requirements considered satisfied.
Top receiving universities for Connecticut transfer students
The most common 2+2 destinations for community college students in Connecticut are the state's flagship and regional public universities. Each has a published transfer-admission policy with a minimum GPA, a credit-hour cap, and an application deadline distinct from the freshman cycle.
| University | System | Min transfer GPA | Application window |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Connecticut | Independent | 2.7 | Mar 1 (fall) / Oct 1 (spring) |
Costs and aid in Connecticut
Community college tuition in Connecticut averages $4,932 per year for in-state residents and $8,932 for out-of-state students. Most colleges layer the federal Pell Grant — worth up to about $7,400 per year for the lowest-income students — with state need-based aid, institutional scholarships, and federal Direct Loans where required. Roughly two of every three community college students in the state receive some form of grant aid, and a substantial minority pay nothing at all out of pocket for tuition once aid is applied.
The practical playbook is the same in every Connecticut city: pick a target four-year institution before you finish your first semester at the community college, find that school's articulation agreement on the receiving registrar's website, and lock in your course selections accordingly. Skipping this step is the single most common reason transfer students lose credit on the way to the bachelor's degree — surveys regularly find that around forty percent of transfer credit is wasted nationally, almost always because the student picked courses without checking the articulation table first.
Largest community colleges in Connecticut
Quinebaug Valley Community College
Housatonic Community College
Naugatuck Valley Community College
Three Rivers Community College (Connecticut)
Manchester Community College (Connecticut)
Gateway Community College
Plan your Connecticut transfer by program area
Each program-area page below combines Connecticut's state-specific articulation rules with the typical two-year coursework for that major. Use it to confirm prerequisites and the most common receiving universities for your intended bachelor's.
- Business Administration in Connecticut
- Nursing (RN) in Connecticut
- Computer Science in Connecticut
- Information Technology in Connecticut
- Engineering Transfer in Connecticut
- Early Childhood Education in Connecticut
- Criminal Justice in Connecticut
- Psychology in Connecticut
- Biology / Pre-Health in Connecticut
- Communications & Media in Connecticut
- Liberal Arts (General Studies) in Connecticut
- Hospitality & Culinary in Connecticut
- Welding & Skilled Trades in Connecticut
- Graphic Design in Connecticut
- Paralegal Studies in Connecticut
- Environmental Science in Connecticut
- Social Work in Connecticut
- Accounting in Connecticut
Every community college in Connecticut
- Connecticut State Community College
- Asnuntuck Community College
- Capital Community College
- Gateway Community College
- Housatonic Community College
- Manchester Community College (Connecticut)
- Middlesex Community College (Connecticut)
- Naugatuck Valley Community College
- Northwestern Connecticut Community College
- Norwalk Community College
- Quinebaug Valley Community College
- Three Rivers Community College (Connecticut)
- Tunxis Community College