Transfer Students

Transfer to KCAD

KCAD has a high number of transfer students and we value their prior experiences and insights on our campus. We’re committed to making your transition to KCAD as smooth as possible.

If you are an early middle college student, you are considered a first-year student rather than a transfer student, however your college credits will be evaluated for transferability in accordance with our Transfer Credit Policy.

How to Apply

KCAD reviews applications on a rolling basis, meaning that we don’t have an application deadline. As a transfer student, you apply using the same six-step undergraduate application process as any first-year KCAD student—unless you have completed an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in which case you do not need to submit your official high school transcript or SAT/ACT test scores.

Once all your application materials have been received, we’ll review your transcripts to evaluate course equivalencies and plug your transferred credits into your program plan.

To minimize loss of credit and duplication of coursework, we recommend that students transfer to KCAD after one year of full-time coursework at a community college. Early communication with an admissions counselor is recommended.

All individuals applying to transfer to KCAD will be automatically considered for any Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships they qualify for. See our Scholarships page for more information on scholarship opportunities.

Financial Aid

Financial aid doesn't automatically transfer from one school to another. You will need to apply for financial aid through KCAD. Please send a copy of your FAFSA to KCAD by adding our federal school code number, 002260, to your processed FAFSA form (this is the same code as Ferris State University). You can make changes to your FAFSA form by logging in to FAFSA.gov. Be sure to notify the financial aid office at your former school about your transfer so that they can cancel your aid. Transfer students are eligible for some KCAD scholarships, visit our Scholarships webpage for details.

General Transfer Credit Policy

KCAD will consider transfer credit for approved courses from regionally and nationally accredited intuitions when a student has received a grade of ‘C’ or better. KCAD will consider credit for approved AP exams when a student has received a score of ‘3’ or better. KCAD will consider credit for approved CLEP exams when a student has received a score of ‘50’ or better. Students must complete at least 30 credits in-residence at KCAD as part of their BFA or BA program requirements, normally the last 30 credits, including at least half of their Major Studio credits. KCAD is committed to ensuring that you get the most out of your prior credits, see our complete Transfer Credit Policy for details.