The CSU Golden Four and transfer requirements
What every Cal State campus requires before a community college student can transfer, checked against the CSU’s own pages.
Checked against official CSU and campus sources in October 2026.
The Golden Four
Upper-division transfers need one course each in oral communication, written communication, critical thinking and composition, and mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning, the four courses known as the Golden Four. Each needs a C- or better.
Everything else you need
- Upper-division transfer applicants must have completed at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of transferable college credit. At least 30 semester (45 quarter) of those units must be at a level equivalent to general education courses.
- Applicants need a GPA of 2.0 or better across all transferable college courses attempted. A higher GPA may be required for high-demand programs or campuses.
- CSU says nonresident transfer applicants are often held to higher admission standards. The page recommends nonresidents complete at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units but gives no separate GPA figure.
- Applicants must be in good standing at the last college or university attended, meaning they are eligible to re-enroll there.
- Applicants must complete one course in each of the four Golden Four areas with a grade of C- or better.
- CSU's Golden Four page says most semester campuses require the four courses to be finished by the end of the spring term before fall admission. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also requires completion by the end of the prior spring for fall. This page still lists Cal Maritime, so it may predate the merger.
- CSU's 2027-2028 admission guide defines upper-division transfers as students who will have completed 60 or more transferable semester units (90 or more quarter units) by the time they enroll at a CSU.
Cal-GETC and CSU GE
Effective fall 2025, Cal-GETC is the statewide lower-division general education pathway for transfer students. Students with continuous enrollment should check catalog rights with their college, while students who have not kept continuous enrollment must follow Cal-GETC. The same CSU page still describes IGETC and CSU GE-Breadth without giving an end date.
Rules people miss
- In July 2025, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Maritime began operating as one university, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The Vallejo site is now the Cal Poly Solano Campus, home of Cal Poly Maritime Academy, and CSU counts 22 universities, official in fall 2026. Source
- Applicants must self-report all completed, in-progress and planned college courses in Cal State Apply, including withdrawals, repeats and non-transferable courses. CSU warns that leaving out coursework may affect eligibility and could result in denial. Source
- Applicants usually get an email in January asking them to update their fall-term grades in Cal State Apply. Some campuses may also require a supplemental application. Source
- A submitted application generally cannot be edited, so corrections go to each campus directly. Admission decisions come from the campus, not from Cal State Apply, and an application is considered only for the term selected. Source
- Unofficial transcripts are needed to fill out the application, and campuses request official transcripts as needed. For example, Cal State LA requires upper-division transfers to send official transcripts by Feb. 15, 2027 or two weeks after applying. Source
- Each CSU campus sets its own deadline to accept an admission offer, and a campus may require an enrollment deposit. Admission that depends on finishing requirements is verified with final official transcripts. Source
- CSUN's 2026-27 catalog states that upper-division transfers need a grade of C- or better in each course used to meet CSU general education requirements. Source
- For students who miss fall 2027, CSU's 2027-28 admission guide lists July 1 to 31, 2027 as the priority filing period for spring 2028. Source
Questions
What are the CSU Golden Four?
Upper-division transfers need one course each in oral communication, written communication, critical thinking and composition, and mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning, the four courses known as the Golden Four. Each needs a C- or better.