Out-of-state options for California transfers
Universities outside California run their own applications and charge their own tuition. Two programs can bring the cost or the risk down: the Western Undergraduate Exchange and the HBCU Transfer Guarantee.
Checked against each university’s own pages in October 2026.
Universities covered
| University | State | Admit rate | WUE for transfers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASUArizona State University | AZ | 90.8% | Ended |
| CU BoulderUniversity of Colorado Boulder | CO | — | Not stated |
| NAUNorthern Arizona University | AZ | 98.1% | Yes |
| NYUNew York University | NY | — | No |
| OSUOregon State University | OR | 82.1% | Competitive |
| PSUPortland State University | OR | — | Yes |
| U of AUniversity of Arizona | AZ | — | 3 majors |
| UH ManoaUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | 81.4% | Yes |
| UNLVUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas | NV | 74.5% | Yes |
| UNRUniversity of Nevada, Reno | NV | 63.6% | Yes |
| UOUniversity of Oregon | OR | — | No |
| UtahUniversity of Utah | UT | — | Yes |
| UWUniversity of Washington, Seattle | WA | — | Not stated |
| WSUWashington State University | WA | — | Award listed |
Admit rates are for all transfer applicants, from each university’s Common Data Set, and the term is on each university’s page. The WUE column summarizes what the university’s own pages say about the exchange for transfers.
The Western Undergraduate Exchange
The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), run by WICHE, lets eligible students from WICHE states and territories pay no more than 150% of a participating school's resident tuition. More than 170 public colleges and universities offer WUE rates, and private institutions do not take part.
- California is on WICHE's list of states whose residents are eligible to apply for WUE.
- Each participating school sets its own WUE eligibility rules and manages its own WUE rates. Schools may require a minimum GPA, exclude some majors, set early deadlines, or limit the number of awards.
- Most WUE schools accept transfer students, but some give the WUE rate only to first-year students or only in certain majors for transfers. WICHE tells students to check each school's WUE Savings Finder profile.
- Students apply to the college or university, not to WICHE. Some schools apply WUE automatically for students from WICHE states, while many require a request or a separate WUE application.
The HBCU Transfer Guarantee
The HBCU Transfer Guarantee gives California community college students who meet the minimum requirements guaranteed admission to participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Students also get acceptance of completed transfer-level courses, one free Common Black College Application for up to four partner HBCUs, priority housing consideration if they apply by the posted deadline, and transfer scholarship consideration with a 3.2 or higher GPA. The program page lists up to $5,000 through the Cal-HBCU Transfer Grant (checked October 2026).
Questions
Can I use ASSIST for out-of-state universities?
No. ASSIST covers UC, CSU and some California private universities. Out-of-state schools publish their own transfer guides and course equivalency tools.