Transfer Student Admissions
Transfer to Central Washington University
We’re here to make your move to CWU easy and welcoming.
From the start, you’ll have support through pre-admission advising, transfer tools, and ways to connect with your future Wildcat community. You belong here—and we’re ready to help you build what’s next.
Am I a Transfer Student?
If you’ve completed 40 or more quarter credits after high school, you’ll apply as a transfer student. If you have fewer than 40 quarter credits, even if you’ve already taken some college classes, you’ll apply as a first-year student. You may be non-traditional student, find out more information and support to help you on your journey.
Start Your ApplicationSteps to Apply
Step 1: Submit your application
Our application is completely online. You can apply through our application portal or use Common App. Already started? Pick up where you left off or check the status through your Applicant Portal.
Step 2: Pay the application fee
The $60 fee is non-refundable. If this creates a hardship, there are opportunties for a fee waiver in the application.
Step 3: Submit your high school or college transcripts
To complete your admission process, submit your official high school or college transcripts. To ensure that your transcript is considered official, please have it sent directly from your institution. Learn more about official and unofficial transcripts.
If you are in the middle of the quarter—don't worry! We accept in-progress transcripts as well. Please send your final, official transcript upon graduating.
Admissions Requirements
To apply as a transfer student, you should:
- Have at least 40 transferable quarter credits at the time of application.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. If you have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, you are eligible for Guaranteed Admissions. If your GPA is between 2.00–2.49, we may ask you to submit a Personal Statement along with your application.
No matter where you’re transferring from—in-state or out-of-state, 2-year or 4-year—you’ll follow the same general admissions requirements. CWU accepts:
- Up to 135 total transferable credits
- Of those, up to 105 credits may come from lower-division (100–200 level) courses
To understand how your courses transfer, visit our Transfer Evaluation System (TES).
Priority Application Dates
CWU welcomes students all year round. Applications are accepted after the application priority date on a space available basis. We are accepting applications for Winter 2026 and Spring 2026 as well.
| Start Quarter | Priority Application Date |
|---|---|
| Fall Quarter 2026 | March 1st, 2026 |
| Winter Quarter 2027 | November 1st, 2026 |
| Spring Quarter 2027 | February 1st, 2027 |
| Summer Quarter 2027 | May 31st, 2027 |
ETA+
If you’re attending a participating college, the Early Transfer Admissions Plus (ETA+) program makes transferring easier with:
- Waived application fees
- Conditional admission to CWU
- Early access to academic advising, career services, and more
If you’ve earned a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree, you’re likely to be admitted. Even better, your DTA fulfills CWU’s general education and foreign language requirements.
Transfer Maps
Transfer MAPs (Major Academic Pathways) are planning documents that help prospective transfer students considering a specific CWU major answer the essential questions that many transfers ask:
- What courses do I need to take prior to transferring?
- What locations or modalities is this program available in?
- How much will it cost?
- How long will it take?
- Who can I contact for further information?
I'm admitted. What's next?
Congratulations! Your first step is to accept your admission offer. You’ll also want to apply for financial aid and start exploring housing and meal plan options. We’ll be with you every step of the way.
Take the next steps.The Washington 45 Program
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Transfer Courses – “Washington 45”
A student who completes courses selected from within the general education categories listed below at a public community, technical, four-year college or university in Washington State will be able to transfer and apply a maximum of 45 quarter credits toward general education requirement(s) at any other public and most private higher education institutions in the state.
For transfer purposes, a student must have a minimum grade of C or better (2.0 or above) in each course completed from this list.
Students who transfer Washington 45 courses must still meet a receiving institution’s admission requirements and eventually satisfy all their general education requirements and their degree requirements in major, minor and professional programs.
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First Year Transfer List of general education courses
Communications (5 credits)
- ENGL101
- ENGL102
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (5 credits)
- MATH107
- MATH148
- MATH151
Humanities (10 credits in two different subject areas or disciplines2 )
- PHIL101
- MUSC105
- DRMA101
- ENGL111
- HUM101
- For colleges that use History as a Humanities HIST116, HIST117, HIST118, HIST146, HIST147, HIST148)
Social Science (10 credits in two different subject areas or disciplines)
- PSYC100
- SOC101
- POLS101
- POLS202
- For colleges that use History as a Social Science: HIST116, HIST117, HIST118, HIST146, HIST147, HIST148
Natural Sciences (10 credits in two different subject areas or disciplines)
- BIOL100
- BIOL160 w/ lab
- ASTR100
- ASTR101 with lab
- CHEM105
- CHEM110 with lab
- CHEM121 with lab
- CHEM161
- CHEM162
- ENVS100
- ENVS101
- PHYS114
- GEOL101 with lab.
Although these courses are listed under categories, the actual course may satisfy a different general education category at a receiving institution.
Many private non-profit colleges and universities have distinct general education requirements. Students should check with institution(s) they plan to attend regarding application of transfer credits that will meet general education requirements. Disciplines are sometimes called subject or subject matter areas and designated by a prefix (i.e. PHIL for Philosophy and POLS for Political Science).
The list of courses in Washington 45 does not replace the Direct Transfer Agreement, Associate of Science Tracks I and II or any Major Related Program agreement, nor will it guarantee admission to a four-year institution.
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Ready? Let's go.
Questions? Contact Us.
Office of Admissions
Bouillon Hall 202
- admissions@cwu.edu
- 509-963-1211
- Fax: 509-963-3065