CCC to Private CA College
The pathway from a CCC to a Private CA College
Looking to apply to private colleges in California as a transfer?
Learn about all your options here.
Private College Transfers Can Face More Barriers & Challenges
However, do not let that discourage you – if you want to transfer to a private/independent college in California, you absolutely can. Many private/independent colleges have amazing transfer communities and provide excellent academic opportunities. Successfully transferring though may require more work and research than is asked of UC/CSU transfers. We want to help eliminate those challenges! On this page, you can get information about transferring to a private CA college and learn about programs that may make your journey easier.
Tips for Private College Transfers
Research the school you're planning to apply to
Contact your target school's admissions team
Make a plan to meet all admission requirements
Private/Independent colleges each have their own admission requirements for students. Keeping track of these requirements and your progress towards meeting them is vital for a successful transfer.
Remember to keep cost in mind
Private/Independent colleges do cost more on average than public California colleges. Make sure that you’re making a plan for handling those costs. Do research on the financial aid offered by your target colleges.
CA Private College Admission Requirements
Unfortunately, unlike the UC or CSU system, CA Private Colleges do not have a shared set of admission requirements. Each school sets their own requirements and prospective transfers must research the requirements for each school they wish to apply to. However, some colleges do accept IGETC and AD-Ts (Associate’s Degree for Transfer).
Association of Independent California Colleges & Universities (AICCU)
The AICCU provides a guide tailored to community college students wanting to transfer to independent/private colleges in California. Below is a link to this guide and a breakdown of some of the information provided within.
AICCU Associate's Degree for Transfer (ADT) Program
Certain AICCU independent/private colleges accept Associate’s Degrees for Transfer issued at California Community Colleges. When accepted these degrees are able to satisfy certain general education & major preparation requirements for the major at the college where it’s accepted. Below is a list of all colleges that accept ADTs and which ADTs they accept.
List of AICCU Colleges that accept ADTs
- Azusa Pacific University
- Arts: Art; Design Studies; Theater Arts
- Business: Accounting; Business Administration; Business Management; Entrepreneurship; Finance; International Business; Marketing
- Liberal Arts: Communication Studies; Criminal Justice; English; History; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; Spanish
- STEM: Applied Mathematics; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Information Systems; Computer Science; Kinesiology; Physics
- More information: apu.edu/adt
- Biola University
- Applied Psychology, Business Administration, Business Management, English, Mathematics, Psychology, Sociology
- Brandman University
- All 40 ADT Majors
- California Baptist University
- Administration of Justice, Anthropology, Art History, Business Administration, Chemistry, English, Journalism, History, Kinesiology, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish
- California Institute of Integral Studies
- Psychology
- California Lutheran University
- Administration of Justice, Art History, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Economics, Elementary Teacher Education, English, Film, TV & Electronic Media, Geology, Global Studies, Journalism, History, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Music, Nutrition, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, Theatre Arts
- Concordia University Irvine
- Biology; Business Administration; Communication Studies; Economics; Elementary Teacher Education; Physics; Psychology; Studio Arts
- Fresno Pacific University
- Administration of Justice, Art History, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Child & Adolescent Development, Communication Studies, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Teacher Education, English, Film, TV & Electronic Media, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Social Justice Studies, Spanish, Studio Arts, Theatre Arts
- For full list visit fresno.edu/adt
- Golden Gate University
- Business Administration, Psychology
- Holy Names University
- Biology, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Elementary Teacher Education, History, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health Science, Sociology
- Humphreys University
- Administration of Justice, Business Administration, Early Childhood Education
- John Paul the Great Catholic University
- Business Administration; Communication Studies
- La Sierra University
- Administration of Justice, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Computer Science, English, Film, Television & Electronic Media, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Music, Nutrition, Physics, Psychology, Public Health Science, Sociology, Spanish, Studio Arts
- Laguna College of Art & Design
- Los Angeles Pacific University
- Administration of Justice, Business Administration, Psychology, Public Health Science
- Marymount California University
- Administration of Justice, Biology, Business Administration, Psychology
- Menlo College
- Business Administration, Psychology
- Mount Saint Mary’s University
- Administration of Justice, Business Administration, Psychology, Sociology
- National University
- Notre Dame de Namur University
- Biology, Business Administration, Computer Science, Kinesiology, Psychology
- Pacific Oaks College
- Early Childhood Education, Psychology
- Pacific Union College
- Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Early Childhood Education, Economics, Environmental Science, Film, TV & Electronic Media, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Spanish, Studio Arts
- Palo Alto University
- Palo Alto University will accept all ADT Majors; the ADT allows students to transfer into B.S. Business Psychology or B.S. Psychology & Social Action.
- Pepperdine University
- Art History, Communication Studies, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Art History; Child Adolescent Development; English; Journalism; History; Mathematics; Music; Philosophy; Physics; Political Science; Sociology; Social Justice Studies
- Saint Mary’s College of California
- Anthropology, Art History, Business Administration, Child & Adolescent Development, Communication Studies, Early Childhood Education, Economics, Elementary Teacher Education, English, Film/TV & Electronic Media, Geography, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Health Science, Sociology, Social Justice Studies, Spanish, Studio Arts, Theatre Arts
- San Diego Christian College
- Biology, Business Administration, Communication Studies, English, Kinesiology, Psychology
- Simpson University
- Biology, Business Administration, Communication Studies, History, Music, Political Science, Psychology
- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- TCSPP will accept all ADT Majors; the ADT will allow students to transfer into B.A. Psychology.
- University of La Verne
- Administration of Justice, Anthropology, Art History, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Child and Adolescent Development, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Early Childhood Education, Economics, Elementary Teacher Education, English, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, Studio Art, Theatre Arts
- University of Redlands
- Anthropology, Art History, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Child and Adolescent Behavior, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Film, Television and Electronic Media, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Social Justice Studies, Sociology
- University of Saint Katherine
- Art History, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, English, History, Kinesiology, Music
- University of San Francisco
- Biology, Chemistry
- University of the Pacific
- Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Economics, Elementary Teacher Education, English, Film, TV & Electronic Media, Geography, Global Studies, History, Kinesiology, Music, Philosophy, Political Sciences, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish
- University of the West
- Business Administration, English, Psychology
- Vanguard University
- Westmost College
- Anthropology, Art History, Business Administration, Economics, English, Physics, Spanish
- Whittier College
- Anthropology, English, Psychology, Sociology
- William Jessup University
- Administration of Justice, Biology, Business Administration, Computer Science, Elementary Teacher Education, English, History, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Music, Political Science, Psychology, Theatre Arts
List of All AICCU Colleges & AICCU guide
Beyond just the colleges that accept ADTs there are a variety of other colleges in the AICCU that have published detailed information to help CCC transfer students successfully transfer to their colleges. Below is a list of these colleges & the AICCU guide for transfer students.
List of Colleges/Universities in the AICCU Guide
Northern CA
- Simpson University
- William Jessup University
SF Bay Area
- California College of the Arts
- California Institute of Integral Studies
- Dominican University of California
- Golden Gate University
- Holy Names University
- Northwestern Polytechnic University
- Menlo College
- Mills College
- Notre Dame de Namur University
- Pacific Union College
- Palo Alto University
- Saint Mary’s College of California
- Samuel Merritt University
- San Francisco Art Institute
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music
- Santa Clara University
- Saybrook University
- Stanford University
- Touro University California
- University of San Francisco
- Zaytuna College
Central Valley
- Fresno Pacific University
- Humphreys University
- University of the Pacific
Central Coast
- California Lutheran University
- Fielding Graduate University
- Thomas Aquinas College
- Westmont College
Los Angeles
- American Jewish University
- Antioch University Los Angeles
- ArtCenter
- Azusa Pacific University
- Biola University
- California Institute of Technology
- California Institute of the Arts
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
- Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Claremont Graduate University
- Claremont McKenna College
- Columbia College Hollywood
- Harvey Mudd College
- Hope International University
- Keck Graduate Institute
- Life Pacific University
- Los Angeles Pacific University
- Loyola Marymount University
- Marymount California University
- Master’s University
- Mount Saint Mary’s University
- Occidental College
- Otis College of Art and Design
- Pacific Oaks College
- Pepperdine University
- Providence Christian College
- Pitzer College
- Pomona College
- Scripps College
- Southern California Institute of Architecture
- Southern California University of Health Sciences
- Touro University Worldwide
- University of La Verne
- University of Southern California
- University of the West
- Western University of Health Sciences
- Whittier College
- Woodbury University
Orange County
- Brandman University
- Chapman University
- Concordia University Irvine
- Laguna College of Art & Design
- Soka University
- Vanguard University
Riverside/San Bernardino
- California Baptist University
- La Sierra University
- Loma Linda University
- University of Redlands
San Diego
- John Paul the Great Catholic University
- National University
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- San Diego Christian College
- University of Saint Katherine
- University of San Diego
All Private/Independent CA Colleges
Below you can view a list of all private/independent CA Colleges who are either in the AICCU or received transfer applicants for the year of 2021. Transfer statistics from 2021 and links to additional information on transferring are also included. This list can also be sorted & searched.
List of Private/Independent CA Colleges with Transfer Info
Other Resources for CCC to Private CA College Transfers
AICCU
Many Independent/Private California colleges are members of the AICCU. The AICCU offers a webpage with additional information for transfers seeking admission into one of their member colleges.
ccctransfers.org
This website is operated by the California Community College system and is not affiliated with our website. However, they offer links to transfer information for the Top 50 Private California Colleges. Information may be outdated.
IGETC
Although IGETC is designed for UC/CSU transfers. Many Private CA colleges accept it and it is an incredibly comprehensive way to complete general education requirements. View our page on IGETC to learn more.