Approximately half of USHE students attend more than one institution before graduation. (This does not include students taking Concurrent Enrollment courses in high school.) USHE students attend more than one institution at a higher rate than the national average of 32%.

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Transfer from 2-year to 4-year institutions

For students who transfer after completing a two-year degree, Utah is lower than the national average. This is primarily due to the dual mission of USHE’s regional universities, which offer both open access community college degrees as well as four-year bachelor’s and limited master’s degrees (Weber State University, Southern Utah University, Dixie State University, and Utah Valley University).

Nationally, students who transfer colleges have a higher likelihood of “swirling” – repeating courses or earning credits that don’t progress toward a degree or certificate. However, among USHE institutions, there are several factors that ensure greater transferability among its institutions:

1. Common course numbering – Board of Regents policy requires all general education courses at USHE institutions to have similar curriculum, similar names, equal credits, and same course numbers.
2. USHE’s regional universities have a dual mission of offering community college programs as well as four-year bachelor’s and limited master’s degree programs. Four of the eight USHE institutions have a dual mission: Weber State University, Southern Utah University, Dixie State University, and Utah Valley University.
3. USHE maintains the Utah Transfer Guide, an online resource for users to compare specific programs and courses at USHE institutions.
4. USHE’s two community colleges, Snow College and Salt Lake Community College, have high transfer rates from their two-year programs to four-year programs at Utah colleges and universities. Some degree programs have transfer rates as high as 85% of students who transfer to a four-year degree program upon earning a two-year associate degree.