In the past, transfer students were often the most overlooked opportunity in higher education. But that appears to be changing.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, transfer enrollment grew by 4.4% in fall 2024 compared to the previous year, marking the third consecutive year of growth. This brings transfer enrollment 7.9% higher than in the Covid fall of 2020.
The increase is particularly notable among community colleges, which saw a 13.5% rise in transfer students since fall 2020. Additionally, Black and Hispanic students experienced the largest gains in transfer enrollment, with increases of 8.3% and 4.4%, respectively.
As colleges and universities lean more heavily on the transfer marketplace to meet enrollment goals, the institutions that succeed will be the ones that ask hard questions, move faster and refuse to leave easy wins on the table.
Here are three crucial questions enrollment teams need to ask themselves right now:
1. Do we have a strategic plan for transfers?
You know transfers are important. But do you know what to do about it?
Too often, the transfer funnel is treated like a mystery — something that just “happens” organically. That’s why many institutions base their goals on last year’s numbers plus a hopeful bump.
But when a pool is unpredictable, strategy matters more — not less. And yet, many enrollment teams don’t conduct a transfer audit to see what’s working (or not). They default to familiar tactics like sending reps to transfer fairs, even though those can be hit or miss.
Here’s the move: Create an intentional plan. Review your past efforts. Set realistic goals based on real opportunities, not wishful thinking.
2. Do we move fast enough with our transfers?
Transfer students are impatient. If they don’t get answers quickly, they move on.
The challenge? Transfer enrollment often involves multiple departments — admissions, registrar, financial aid, academic advising, athletics, and more. That can lead to bottlenecks and broken communication.
Speed wins. Here’s how to get faster:
- Build cross-office relationships so everyone’s on the same page.
- Establish workflows that prioritize transfer responsiveness.
- Assign a transfer specialist in the registrar’s office — especially someone who can give fast, accurate credit evaluations.
- Make sure your financial aid team understands transfer-specific concerns.
Transfer students want answers before they apply. Your job is to reduce friction at every touchpoint.
3. Are we passing up easy wins?
You might be sitting on gold without realizing it.
Start here:
- Use the National Student Clearinghouse to identify non-matriculants — students who applied but didn’t enroll, or those who landed at a community college instead.
- Audit your articulation agreements. Are you using them to actually engage students at your feeder schools?
- Get face time on local community college campuses. Build brand awareness early. Give students a clear roadmap to your institution.
And finally, look at your website: are you engaging transfer students in real time? Today’s transfer prospects don’t want to dig for information. They want a human. They want a plan. They want to know someone’s paying attention.
In 2025, transfers aren’t just choosing between institutions. They’re choosing between school, work and life.
If your strategy is still on autopilot, it’s time to shift gears. Start by asking the right questions — and be ready to act fast when you hear the answers.
Want to see how Capture Higher Ed is helping institutions turn transfer interest into real enrollment? Let’s talk.
