Transfer Admission
Admission Decision Priority Dates
PLU has transfer application priority dates for fall and spring semester starts. If you complete your application materials prior to one of these dates, you can expect an admission decision, notification of academic scholarship eligibility, and an official report of transferable credits within four weeks.
Note: Our review of applications for a fall semester start does not begin until January 1 of that same year.
Fall Semester Priority Dates:
*July 1 is the final application date for fall semester.
ALL application materials must be submitted by July 15, 2025 to be considered for Fall 2025.
Spring Semester Priority Dates:
*December 1 is the final application date for spring semester.
ALL application materials must be submitted by December 15, 2024 to be considered for Spring 2025.
Application Checklist
Undergraduate Application
PLU’s online application is FREE.
Personal Essay
The essay should be at least 250 words.
Official College Transcripts
Send in official transcripts from all college coursework. This includes official military transcripts.
If you have less than 30 semester hours of college credit when applying, you must also submit an official high school transcript or the equivalent.
*Academic Recommendation(s) are optional. You may decide for yourself if you want to include an academic recommendation as part of your application. However, if you are applying for admission to our Nursing or Social Work programs, you will be required to submit academic recommendations for those programs.
Once you’ve started your application, you can check on the status of each checklist item through your student applicant portal.
Admission Criteria
You may apply as a transfer student if you have graduated from high school or earned an equivalent diploma, and seek to transfer college-level credit to PLU from regionally accredited colleges or universities. To be considered for transfer admission to PLU, you need a minimum college-level GPA of at least 2.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and one year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours) of college level, academic coursework. If you wish to apply for admission with less than 30 semester hours of transferable credit, you must submit an official high school transcript or equivalent.
At PLU, transfer students are not only welcome, they are an important part of the campus community. Transfer students add a wealth of experience and diversity to campus. Each year more than 150 students transfer to PLU.
Applications for admission are evaluated without regard to race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disabling conditions, financial resources or any other status protected by law.
Direct Transfer Agreements
Transfer students who complete a direct transfer associates degree from a Washington (DTA), Oregon (AAOT) or California (AS-T or AA-T) state community college enter PLU with automatic junior standing and fulfill all but two of PLU’s general education requirements.
Transfer students who have not completed an associate degree or who seek to transfer from institutions other than these state community colleges will have their transcripts evaluated on a course-by-course basis to determine the number of transferable credits and transfer GPA.
Business Direct Admission
The PLU School of Business offers direct admission to its nationally ranked program. Unlike many other universities, which require a separate application to their business school, your application to PLU is also your application for direct admission to business.
Learn more about Business Direct AdmissionComputer Science Direct Admission
PLU’s Computer Science Department offers direct admission to its excellent program. PLU Computer Science is not an impacted major and does not require a separate application to enter the program – your application to PLU is also your application for direct admission to computer science.
Learn more about Computer Science Direct AdmissionEducation Direct Admission
The PLU School of Education offers direct admission to its program, one of the most respected in the region. Unlike many other universities, which require a separate application to their teacher education program, your application to PLU is also your application for direct admission to education.
Learn more about Education Direct AdmissionTransfer Nursing Admission – Traditional BSN
Students interested in transferring to PLU to enter the traditional BSN program must complete the Nursing section of the PLU Undergraduate Transfer Application. Your application will be reviewed for admission to the university and the BSN program.
To be considered for Nursing, you must apply to the university for a Fall 2025 start. Applications for Nursing are considered for a Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 semester start (you may indicate your interest in the Spring 2026 cohort, but the PLU School of Nursing will make the final placement decisions).
Note: High School seniors who are seeking an associate’s degree via Running Start should NOT complete this transfer application.
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)
PLU also offers a 16-month ABSN degree for students with a minimum of 60 college credits or a bachelor’s degree in a different area of study. This satellite program (in Lynnwood, just north of Seattle) has a completely different application and admission process from our traditional BSN. If interested in the ABSN program, please visit the PLU ABSN website.
Deadlines
Annual Nursing Application Deadline
Applications MUST be completed by the February 15 deadline. For the February 15, 2025 deadline, the School of Nursing will be considering ONLY for a Fall 2025 OR Spring 2026 start.
Nursing Notification Date
Admission notifications for Nursing will be released on April 15. Please note that notifications for general admission to the University are typically released earlier.
Application Checklist
Undergraduate Transfer Application including the Nursing Section
Access the application for Fall 2025 & Spring 2026 here.
$73 application fee
Plus a $2.03 processing fee.
Two Essays
The essay prompts are part of the application, and there are options to include additional statements.
Two Recommendation Forms
One must be a college-level faculty whose course you have taken. (You will enter the name, title, and email address for each recommender in your application. The application system will send them a form to complete with the option to upload a letter of recommendation.)
Optional Resume
If you have work experience you would like the admission committee to consider, the resume provides an opportunity to share that.
English proficiency test scores, if applicable
For more information, see our English Proficiency Policy.
Nursing Addenda
These are questions related to nursing licensure and your ability to meet the Essential Qualifications for Nursing.
Admission Criteria
- You have already graduated from high school
- You have (or intend to have) 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (junior standing) at time of entry into PLU
- You will have all prerequisites completed at time of entry into the BSN program
- You are not currently taking classes at PLU and have never attended PLU before
Please refer to the School of Nursing application webpage for all admission policies and requirements.
Direct Transfer Agreements
Transfer students who complete a direct transfer associates degree from a Washington (DTA), Oregon (AAOT) or California (AS-T or AA-T) state community college enter PLU with automatic junior standing and fulfill all but two of PLU’s general education requirements.
Transfer students who have not completed an associate degree or who seek to transfer from institutions other than these state community colleges will have their transcripts evaluated on a course-by-course basis to determine the number of transferable credits and transfer GPA.
Questions about the transfer nursing application process? Please contact the transfer admission team at transferadmi@plu.edu or 253-535-7151.
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