Transfer Student
A page within Admissions
Applying for Admission
We take a comprehensive, holistic approach when reviewing each application. While your demonstrated academic performance is an important component, we also consider factors such as extracurricular activities, demonstrated leadership, essays, and letters of recommendation.
Application Period
UWL does not have an application deadline. When we have reached the maximum number of students we can enroll for a given term, admission will close. We recommend that you apply for admission as early as possible, as space can become limited.
| Starting Term | Application Opens: |
| Winter (J-term) or Spring 2026 | April 1, 2025 |
| Summer or Fall 2026 | August 1, 2025 |
| Winter (J-term) or Spring 2027 | April 1, 2026 |
Materials to Submit
- Universities of Wisconsin application
- Nonrefundable application fee
NOTE: Students directly transferring from a Universities of Wisconsin Campus within one year are exempt from paying the application fee. - Official high school transcript that includes a high school graduation date.
- Official college transcripts sent directly to UW-La Crosse Admissions Office from all post-secondary institutions attended, even if no credit was earned.
- Transcripts should include all college-level coursework completed to date.
- If you completed college courses during high school, we still need official transcripts from the institution(s) that granted the credit.
- Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution(s) or through an electronic secure document sending service (i.e. Parchment). Transcripts that are marked "Issued to Student" or that are hand delivered by a student will not be accepted unless the transcript remains sealed in the original envelope from the issuing institution(s).
- List of courses in progress – if currently enrolled – with course numbers, titles, and number of credits for each course.
Admission Guidelines
To be considered for transfer admission:
- Students with at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point average in transferable credits will be stronger candidates for admission.
- Students with a cumulative grade point average between a 2.00 and 2.24 in transferable credits may be considered for admission if space is available.
- While academic preparation is the primary consideration for transfer admission, non-academic secondary factors such as demonstrated leadership, extracurricular involvement, special talent, and/or recommendations may contribute to the strength of an application.
Please Note: Students who were not admissible as new freshmen, or first-time transfer applicants who would not have been offered admission as a new freshman must have earned at least 18 transferable semester credits after graduating high school to be considered for transfer admission.
Admissions Decisions
After all materials required for your application are received and your application is marked complete, an admissions decision will be mailed via USPS in two to four weeks:
| ADMIT | POSTPONE | DENY |
| Watch for your admissions packet to arrive via USPS. Check out the admitted transfer students webpage for more information regarding your next steps. | Some applicants may be placed on a postpone list, meaning an admission decision will be made at a later date. If you would like your application to receive further consideration, please follow the instructions in your decision letter. | For some transfer students, it is possible to be considered for a later term. For assistance, please contact the Admissions Office. |
Applicants from Western Technical College
Western Technical College students have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a UW-La Crosse representative. The best part is, we come to you! Your one-on-one meeting will be at the Western campus in the Learning Commons, located on the second floor of the Welcome Center.
Second Degree Applicants
A student who holds one bachelor's degree may be admitted to the university to earn a second bachelor's degree. Each applicant must complete the Universities of Wisconsin application and have one official transcript sent from each university attended. Questions about earning a second bachelor's degree at UW-La Crosse should be directed to the Transfer Admissions Office.
If you have been admitted to UW-La Crosse, congratulations! Check out our admitted transfer and second-degree page to complete your next steps.
Credit transfer
All admitted transfer students will receive an official credit evaluation upon admittance.
Note: Criteria such as number of schools attended and/or number of credits earned may extend time necessary to complete your transfer credit report.
We will notify you via email when your transfer credit report is complete and direct you to your WINGS Student Center to view it.
In the meantime, you can use the resources below to learn how your credits may transfer.
Transferology
Transferology Logo
Transferology is a nationwide network designed to help you explore your college transfer options. UWL enters all of its transfer equivalencies in Transferology to help you determine how your credit will transfer. Simply click on the icon above to create a free account. Enter the coursework you’ve completed, then use the search to see how your coursework transfers.
Courses displayed as "maybes" in Transferology does not imply a lack of transferability; it means UWL has yet to evaluate the course's equivalency. For more information, contact our transfer staff.
Transfer Guides
Transferring from one of the institutions below? Our general education equivalency guides show how courses transfer to UW–La Crosse and whether additional program-specific transfer agreements are available.
Transfer Credit Report
You can locate your transfer credit report in your WINGS Student Center by selecting "Transfer Credit: Report" from the drop-down menu under the "Academics" section.
In your transfer credit report, your credits will fall under one of the following UWL course equivalencies:
- Direct Course Equivalent: A direct UWL course exists. (ex: ENG 110, STAT 145)
- Department Elective Equivalent: A direct UWL course does not exist, but course is eligible for elective credit within a specific department. Courses under this category use the departmental prefix, and indicate credit level (see levels below). (ex: ECO 000L, PSY 000U)
- General Elective: A direct UWL course or department elective does not exist, but course is eligible for credit. Courses under this category use departmental prefix "GEL" and indicate credit level. General elective credits may be applied towards a degree in the same way that a direct course equivalent does. (ex: GEL 000L, GEL 000U)
- General Education Course Equivalent: Elective credit (general or department) is given and course satisfies a general education requirement. Courses under this category use a six-digit code following the departmental prefix indicating both the credit level and corresponding to the appropriate general education category. (ex: GEL 0001HL, BIO 0001KL)
The following table reflects how Core General Education Requirements (CGER) course categories will appear on your transfer credit report:
| Core General Education Category | Requirement Title | Credits | Elective Course Codes |
| Communication & Literacy Studies (CL) | Written Literacy (WL) Spoken Literacy (SL) The Stories We Tell (SWT) |
3 3 3 |
0001BL / 0001BU 0001CL / 0001CU 0001TL / 0001TU |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning (MQR) | Quantitative Reasoning (QR) | 3 | 0001EL / 0001EU |
| Social & Behavioral Studies (SBS) | Social & Behavioral Studies (BS) Social Foundations for Success (FS) |
3 2 |
0001RL / 0001RU FYS 100 / UWL 100 |
| Humanities & Arts (HA) | The Pasts that Define Us (PDU) Arts & Aesthetics (AA) |
3 3 |
0001VL / 0001VU 0001NL / 0001NU |
| Natural Sciences & Wellness (NSWL) | Experiential Science (ES) Mind, Body, & Planet (MBP) |
4 3 |
0001KL / 0001KU 0001XL / 0001XU |
| Civics & Perspectives (CP) | The Cultures of our World (CW) The Communities of the United States (CU) |
3
3 |
0001XL / 0001XU 0001HL / 0001HU |
Note: Revised Core General Education Requirements (CGER) are in effect for courses starting Sept. 1, 2026.
Other codes you might see in your transfer credit report include:
- 000L: Listed as the UWL course number. Lower division elective credit will be granted (freshman & sophomore level course work; 100-200 numbered courses)
- 000U: Listed as the UWL course number. Upper division elective credit will be granted (junior & senior level course work; 300-400 numbered courses)
- TIP: Listed in the grade column as "Transfer in Progress" or currently in progress at the time the transfer credit report was completed. Grade will be updated once an official transcript with grades posted is received by Admissions.
- TFO: Listed in the grade column. Indicates you have taken two or more transfer courses which are equal to one UWL course (two for one)
Please direct questions regarding your transfer credit report to our Admissions Transfer Team.
Please view the information about our Transfer Credit Policies, including information about Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Exam Program (CLEP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits. For questions about scheduling and academic advising, please consult the Academic Advising Center's list of frequently asked questions.
Credit is awarded for college-level course work completed at institutions accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). (Foreign institutions must be recognized by the Ministry of Education in that country.) Courses must be similar in nature, level, and content to a course in our undergraduate curriculum and applicable to one of our academic programs. Continuing education courses, graduate-level courses, and courses that are remedial, technical, vocational, or doctrinal in nature are not transferable.
Second Degree Students
Second degree students will not receive a complete credit evaluation and should consult with the Dean’s Office of their College (see letter of admission) to determine which courses are needed to complete the second undergraduate degree.
