Transferring to CU Boulder from California
What University of Colorado Boulder expects from community college transfers. As an out-of-state school it has its own application, deadlines and tuition, so plan for it apart from UC and CSU.
Checked against each university’s own pages in October 2026.
At a glance
- State
- CO
- WUE discount for transfers
- Not stated
CU Boulder sets minimum transfer GPAs by college. It is 2.5 for Arts and Sciences, Exploratory Studies and the Computer Science BA, 2.75 for Music and Education, 3.0 for Engineering BS and for Communication, Media, Design and Information, and 3.2 for the Leeds School of Business.
Application dates
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| March 15 | Fall early notification application deadline (also the summer deadline) for the 2027 transfer application. Most decisions for these applicants come out in March and April. |
| June 1 | Fall final transfer application deadline for the 2027 transfer application. Complete applications by this date are also reviewed for automatic transfer scholarships. |
| June 15 | Deadline for the CU Boulder Transfer Scholarship Application and the FAFSA for need-based scholarships for fall enrollment. |
| October 1 | Spring transfer application deadline. Spring decisions are all out by early December. |
What you need
- Transfers apply on the CU Boulder Transfer Application. The fee is $65 for domestic applicants and a 250-word academic interest question is required. A high school transcript is waived for applicants with 24 or more college credits since high school. SAT and ACT scores are not required. Source
- CU Boulder has no minimum transfer credit requirement. Applicants with fewer than 24 post-high-school credits are evaluated on both their college and high school records. Source
- CU Boulder has no minimum or maximum transfer credit hour requirement and points students to Transferology to see how their credits transfer. Source
For California community college students
- CU Boulder's out-of-state engineering transfer page lists guides only for Colorado community colleges and Colorado four-year schools. Students from other states, including California, use Transferology for course-by-course equivalencies. Source
Cost and scholarships
- The CU Boulder Transfer Excellence Scholarship pays nonresidents $6,000 per year for two years ($12,000 total) and residents $3,000 per year. It requires a 3.75 cumulative college GPA and at least 12 college credits, and students must keep a 2.75 CU Boulder GPA and enroll full time to renew. Source
- Transfers with completed admission applications are automatically considered for the Transfer Excellence Scholarship. A limited amount of funds is reserved for spring entrants. Source
More from CU Boulder
- Engineering BS transfers need a 3.0 cumulative GPA, two semesters of calculus and one semester of calculus-based physics, chemistry or programming, with B or better in math and science courses. AP and IB credit does not count toward these math and science requirements. Source
- Leeds School of Business transfers need a 3.2 cumulative GPA and a B or higher in microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. Source
- CU Boulder accepts transfers for spring, summer and fall entry, and institutional aid and scholarships are awarded starting with the fall semester. Source
Official links
- CU Boulder transfer admissioncolorado.edu
- ASSIST, for UC and CSU course agreementsassist.org
Other out-of-state options
Questions
What GPA do you need to transfer to CU Boulder?
CU Boulder sets minimum transfer GPAs by college. It is 2.5 for Arts and Sciences, Exploratory Studies and the Computer Science BA, 2.75 for Music and Education, 3.0 for Engineering BS and for Communication, Media, Design and Information, and 3.2 for the Leeds School of Business.
When is the CU Boulder transfer deadline?
Fall early notification application deadline (also the summer deadline) for the 2027 transfer application. Most decisions for these applicants come out in March and April. March 15. Fall final transfer application deadline for the 2027 transfer application. Complete applications by this date are also reviewed for automatic transfer scholarships. June 1.
Does CU Boulder use ASSIST?
No. ASSIST covers only UC, CSU and some California private universities. Use the university’s own transfer guide or course equivalency tool to check your classes.