Students who are unhappy with their college experience often transfer to a school that’s a better fit. While some colleges rarely admit transfer students, many routinely allow transfers and enroll a significant number.
Among the 1,056 ranked colleges and universities that provided fall 2024 transfer statistics in an annual U.S. News survey, the average number of transfer students admitted was 966. The average transfer acceptance rate at these schools was 64%, and the average number of transfer students who enrolled was 459.
Meanwhile, the 20 colleges with the biggest transfer student populations each saw more than 2,890 new transfer students enroll. The average size of the transfer student body at these schools was 4,104 students.
[Read: Transferring Colleges: 9 Frequently Asked Questions]
Transfer acceptance rates varied widely among these schools, ranging from a low of 23% at University of California, Los Angeles to 100% at Utah Valley University. Liberty University in Virginia reported the highest total number of transfer students enrolled: 5,985.
Liberty is also the only private school on the list. All but four of these 20 undergraduate programs are National Universities, schools that are typically research-focused and offer a variety of college majors in addition to granting master’s and doctoral degrees in a wide range of academic disciplines.
The other four schools are Regional Universities in the West, offering a variety of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctorates.
Below is a list of the 20 colleges that enrolled the largest number of new transfer students in fall 2024. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria to be ranked — such as the requirement that they enroll at least some full-time, first-year students — were not considered for this report. Don’t see your school in the top 20? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find transfer statistics, complete rankings and much more.
U.S. Colleges That Enroll the Most Transfer Students School
| School | Rank | Transfer Acceptance Rate | Transfer Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty University (VA) | 395-434, National Universities | 90% | 5,985 |
| Florida International University | 97 (tie), National Universities | 74% | 5,613 |
| University of Central Florida | 117 (tie), National Universities | 67% | 5,480 |
| California State University, Fullerton | 139 (tie), National Universities | 78% | 5,003 |
| University of Houston (TX) | 132 (tie), National Universities | 88% | 4,584 |
| California State University, Long Beach | 127 (tie), National Universities | 53% | 4,541 |
| California State University, Northridge | 20 (tie), Regional Universities (West) | 72% | 4,335 |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | 222 (tie), National Universities | 84% | 4,311 |
| California State University, Sacramento | 22 (tie), Regional Universities (West) | 93% | 4,254 |
| San Diego State University (CA) | 117 (tie), National Universities | 53% | 4,222 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 17 (tie), National Universities | 23% | 3,833 |
| University of California, San Diego | 29, National Universities | 55% | 3,757 |
| Arizona State University | 117 (tie), National Universities | 91% | 3,749 |
| University of North Texas | 208 (tie), National Universities | 72% | 3,539 |
| University of South Florida | 88 (tie), National Universities | 57% | 3,406 |
| San Jose State University (CA) | 4, Regional Universities (West) | 70% | 3,351 |
| University of Arizona | 127 (tie), National Universities | 65% | 3,168 |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | 213 (tie), National Universities | 90% | 3,153 |
| Utah Valley University | 93, Regional Universities (West) | 100% | 2,911 |
| George Mason University (VA) | 117 (tie), National Universities | 84% | 2,892 |
More from U.S. News
How to Transfer a High Number of College Credits
How Transferring Colleges Can Affect Financial Aid
What to Know About Transferring From a Community College
20 Colleges That Enroll the Most Transfer Students originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/06/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.