Community college transfer in District of Columbia
A complete guide to how to transfer from a community college to a university in District of Columbia — including the state's 0 accredited community colleges, the major receiving universities, and the statewide articulation programs that govern credit transfer.
How transfer works in District of Columbia
Two-year colleges in District of Columbia serve as the primary on-ramp to a bachelor's degree for tens of thousands of in-state residents each year. Unlike most states, the District has no free-standing accredited community college system, so transfer-bound students typically begin at two-year institutions in neighboring Maryland and Virginia or at a local university's associate-degree programs.
Like most U.S. states, District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia transfer students
The most common 2+2 destinations for community college students in District of Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard University | Independent | 2.5 | Mar 1 (fall) / Nov 1 (spring) |
| George Washington University | Independent | 3 | Apr 1 (fall) / Oct 1 (spring) |
Costs and aid in District of Columbia
Community college tuition in District of Columbia averages $4,356 per year for in-state residents and $7,156 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 District of Columbia 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.
Plan your District of Columbia transfer by program area
Each program-area page below combines District of Columbia'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 District of Columbia
- Nursing (RN) in District of Columbia
- Computer Science in District of Columbia
- Information Technology in District of Columbia
- Engineering Transfer in District of Columbia
- Early Childhood Education in District of Columbia
- Criminal Justice in District of Columbia
- Psychology in District of Columbia
- Biology / Pre-Health in District of Columbia
- Communications & Media in District of Columbia
- Liberal Arts (General Studies) in District of Columbia
- Hospitality & Culinary in District of Columbia
- Welding & Skilled Trades in District of Columbia
- Graphic Design in District of Columbia
- Paralegal Studies in District of Columbia
- Environmental Science in District of Columbia
- Social Work in District of Columbia
- Accounting in District of Columbia
Every community college in District of Columbia
No institutions on file for this state yet.