Cumberlands is most “transfer friendly” private school in KY

College students decide to transfer into other schools for various reasons, personal, academic, or otherwise. When comparing 4-year private colleges and universities across Kentucky, more students are choosing to transfer into University of the Cumberlands than any other school – by far.

According to the most recent available* transfer-student enrollment data from CPE (Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education), Cumberlands received 1,224 transfer students from other institutions. The data compared 16 other private schools, and Cumberlands single-handedly brought in only 550 fewer students than all 16 other schools combined. Cumberlands welcomed almost 800 more students than the runner-up school.

The numbers say that more college students are transferring into Cumberlands than into other private colleges around the state. That’s one message, but it doesn’t dig deeper into the “why.” What’s the big appeal about this small campus? For some students, it’s to live closer to family. Other students have more personal reasons, like friendships or romantic relationships. But for many, it all comes down to finances; college students want a lower price tag. University of the Cumberlands includes free textbooks for on-campus and online students; free parking, laundry services, counseling, study resources, and career services; and charges thousands of dollars less for tuition, room, and board than the average Kentucky private school – and less than even the average Kentucky public school. Additionally, Cumberlands automatically considers all admitted transfer students for academic or merit scholarships. It’s all tied to the university’s One Price Promise, the goal of which is to provide everything a college student needs to succeed at a transparent, attainable rate.

“I think students choose UC not only because of affordability, but because of the amount of transfer credit we accept from other schools,” said Courtnie Kirby, UC’s enrollment counselor who works exclusively with transfer students. “We try to make the transfer process as seamless as we can with credit evaluations and advisors that are there to help you every step of the way. It's exciting to have a front row seat to watching our transfer population grow and seeing so many students get to call UC their home.”

To learn more about opportunities for transfer students at the university, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/transfer. View the list of available majors and minors at Cumberlands at www.ucumberlands.edu/academics. 

*CPE data from the 2020-2021 academic year, the most recent enrollment statistics available.