Did you know that the University of Central Florida (UCF) has the largest student enrollment in Florida and the United States? UCF has much to be proud of, with over 70,000 students enrolled and over 12,000 staff and faculty members employed.
One of UCF’s strengths is its ability to attract National Merit Scholars, with the school enrolling more than any other American college or university. As of 2021, they had registered 357 people!
UCF’s most popular degree programs include psychology, integrated business, biomedical sciences, and nursing.
The Integrated Business degree, for example, promotes students to have extensive experience in a variety of business fields such as banking, real estate, sales, and human resource management.
This article discusses the UCF transfer acceptance rate, requirements, and how to apply.
What is the UCF Transfer Acceptance Rate?
As of the fall of 2024, UCF’s transfer acceptance rate was 64.1%. Out of 10,768 candidates, 6,901 were accepted, with 3,819 enrolling. The transfer cohort for 2021 consists of 40.7% men and 59.3% women.
UCF is known as a “transfer-friendly” school. According to U.S. News & World Report, more students choose to transfer to UCF than any other university in the United States!
As of the fall of 2020, transfer students made up 42% of the UCF student population; nearly half of that total are minority students, and 18.7% are first-generation college students.
One reason UCF attracts so many transfer applicants is that students can apply before receiving their A.A. or A.S. degrees; in fact, the Office of Admissions suggests that enrolling one semester before obtaining their associate’s degree may facilitate a smoother transition.
Before applying, we urge that students attend the Transfer to Be a Knight virtual information session held on Thursday afternoons. Students who attend can expect to hear about the admissions process, criteria, and credit evaluations.
Once accepted at UCF, transfer students have access to a multitude of services. The Transfer Center allows transfer students to connect with success coaches and other transfer students.
The UCF Transfer Requirements for Admission
Students transferring to UCF must have a GPA of 2.0 in college and 2.5 in high school. While transfer students’ data are not disaggregated from the Common Data Set, the most recent first-year class had an average weighted GPA of 4.25, while admissions to Burnett Honors College had a 4.51 weighted high school GPA.
In addition to the online application, potential transfers must submit a $30 nonrefundable application fee and several other documents.
Candidates should include certified transcripts from any previous high schools and/or universities they attended.
If a candidate already holds an A.A. degree from a Florida public community college, state institution, or university, they do not need to provide high school transcripts.
Transfer applicants should transmit their official ACT or SAT results, as well as any AICE, AP, CLEP, or IB scores that are available.
In rare situations, admissions officers may request additional documents from transfer applicants demonstrating proficiency in a foreign language.
Applicants may also need to demonstrate that they received a C or above in two English composition courses, college algebra, or a higher-level college math class (if applying with 60 or more transferable credit hours).
UCF Transfer Application
Applying to UCF as a transfer is almost as simple as getting accepted! Begin by filling out the online application, sending your application money, and submitting all high school and college transcripts from previous institutions.
Don’t forget to include your SAT, ACT, AP, IB, or other higher-level course results that you want to apply toward your UCF degree.
Remember that transfer applicants are divided into three “classifications”: those with fewer than 30 transferable credit hours, those with 30-59 transferable credit hours, and those with 60 or more.
All applicants must be in good academic standing, with an official high school cumulative GPA of 2.5 and/or a college cumulative GPA of 2.0.
From there, different types of transfer applicants may be requested to demonstrate competency in English composition, advanced mathematics, or foreign language comprehension.
There is no need to request that others provide letters of reference on your behalf; the Office of Admissions will not consider them as part of the admissions process.
Transfer applicants will not be allowed to interview, but they can still take one of three tours.
If you are unable to attend the in-person campus tour, we recommend signing up for a live-streamed tour or going on a self-guided tour. Regardless, there are experienced and courteous student ambassadors waiting to answer your inquiries at every turn.
What is the UCF Transfer Deadline?
UCF’s transfer student application deadline is July 1 (for the fall semester start). UCF accepts transfer applications for the spring and summer semesters.
Those intending to begin studies in the spring should submit their paperwork by November 1, while those wishing to begin in the summer should send all materials to the Office of Admissions by March 1.
Transfer applicants are not needed to provide letters of recommendation, and they will not be evaluated during the application process.
Transfers will not be given the opportunity for an interview. Admission standards are based on the total number of transferable semester credits each applicant has already earned.
The following information should assist applicants in preparing to submit their application materials before the deadline.
Applicants with fewer than 30 credits must complete the admission standards for first-year students in high school and have a minimum high school GPA of 2.5.
They should also have at least a 4.0 total college GPA for all courses taken and be in good academic standing at their present institution.
Students with 30 to 59 transferred credits must have had a C or above in one English composition class and one upper-level mathematics course.
They should be able to demonstrate proficiency in a global language to at least the second high school level (e.g., French 2) or the second collegiate level (German Level II). They, like the prior cohort, should have a 4.0 overall GPA and be in good academic standing.
Finally, students with 60 or more credits have essentially identical criteria as the preceding cohort; additionally, they must have received a C or higher in two collegiate English composition classes and two collegiate upper-level mathematics courses.
The UCF Transfer GPA
UCF’s large student body does not make it a less competitive college. The fall 2021 entering first-year class had an average weighted high school GPA of 4.25, which is considered strong.
Students accepted to the Burnett Honors College account for around 8% of UCF’s total population, with the most recent entering first-year class having an average weighted high school GPA of 4.51.
To be admitted to the Burnett Honors College, applicants must have a competitive weighted high school GPA and senior class rank. SAT and/or ACT scores, as well as advanced courses in AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment programs, are also taken into consideration.
What is the UCF Acceptance Rate?
UCF accepted 45% of students who submitted for admission to the 2021-2022 freshman class, with 21,661 admitted out of approximately 48,000 applications. 90% of admitted students are Florida citizens, with 7% coming from out of state and 3% being international students.
As of the fall 2021 semester, UCF had a total enrollment of 70,406, making it Florida’s most populous institution.
However, only 7,141 of those students were freshly admitted first-year students. Transfer and graduate students have larger populations than first-year students.
UCF’s overall enrollment includes students enrolled in its online programs; the institution now enrolls 3,730 undergraduate students and 2,893 graduate students in a variety of online courses.
Conclusion
There are numerous criteria that applicants should consider when determining which college is most suited to their tastes and goals.
Some factors to consider are location, curriculum types, tuition, student population, and available possibilities. UCF is an excellent choice for those concerned about costly tuition and other associated expenditures. For in-state students, the total anticipated annual cost of attendance is around $24,000, with tuition accounting for about 25% of it.
Those who achieve a specific SAT or ACT score and complete other qualifications may be able to have their out-of-state tuition fees waived provided they have a living grandmother who is a legal resident of Florida (UCF refers to this as the “grandfather clause”).
After completing their FAFSA and CSS profile, an applicant is likely to obtain financial aid in some form; UCF estimates that 81% of their undergraduate students receive loans, scholarships, grants, or work-study programs.
While 42% of American college students graduate with no debt to outside lenders, more than 57% of first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at UCF finish with no educational debt—something to think about when determining which college is best!
Overall, if a candidate wants to study in a diversified, densely populated student population in a pleasant and interesting location, UCF is an excellent choice.
Florida residents, in particular, stand to benefit the most from low tuition rates, although the vast majority of applicants are likely to qualify for financial aid.
