Credits

Whether you plan to attend the UW or another college or university, credits earned through UWHS can help you get a jump-start on earning your college degree.

If you plan to attend another college or university, you will need to follow the process described below.

If you plan to attend UW, any credits earned through UWHS will automatically appear on your UW transcript and as part of your GPA. You can find more information about UW admissions and answers to other frequently asked questions below.

Transferring Credit to Other Colleges & Universities

The UW credits earned through UWHS transfer successfully to many other colleges and universities, both public and private, in the state of Washington and around the country. A few things to keep in mind:

• Studies and surveys consistently indicate that most students can successfully transfer credits earned through UWHS.
• However, some colleges and universities do not grant transfer credit for UW courses taken through UWHS. In addition, credit transfer success may depend on additional factors (e.g., grade, specific course).
• Before registering for UW credit, you should visit the websites of your prospective colleges to confirm whether credits earned through UWHS can transfer to those colleges.
• To transfer your UW credits once you are enrolled in college, you will need to request to have an official UW transcript sent to the college or university you’ll be attending.

Credits & Course Equivalencies in Washington

If you're considering public four-year colleges and universities in Washington state, you can use the following course equivalency reference tool to see how UW credits earned through UWHS courses would transfer. Here's how to find equivalencies for UWHS courses:

1. Open this College in the High School Course Equivalencies spreadsheet.
2. Scroll down until you see "UWS" in column B, find your specific UWHS course(s) in column A, and follow the line across to the institution(s) you are interested in attending.
3. Visit the “Institutional Legends” tab to learn more about the different abbreviations.

National Database of Credit Transfer

The University of Connecticut’s Credit Transfer Database is a resource if you want to explore potential transfer of credit earned through programs like UWHS. The database is in no way an official determination nor a guarantee of successful credit transfer. To find out whether credits will transfer to a certain college or university, visit their website.

UW Admissions

Students earning UW credit through UWHS do not have a specific admission advantage. Courses taken through UWHS are weighted equally with Advanced Placement, Running Start, International Baccalaureate, and other "college in the high school" courses. All of these options for earning college credit in high school are viewed as equal demonstration of a student’s ability to successfully engage in university-level coursework.

For more information on UW's perspective on college-level coursework, visit the Office of Admissions.

Fulfilling UW Degree Requirements

If you’re thinking of applying to the UW, taking courses through UWHS is one way to demonstrate your ability to successfully engage in college-level coursework. UW Admissions looks for applicants who have done rigorous coursework in high school, and it considers courses taken through UWHS equally alongside other accelerated learning options such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses. Learn more about UW freshman admissions.

Once you’re a UW student, courses taken through UWHS can be used to fulfill general education requirements. All courses taken through UWHS appear on your official UW transcript.

Class Standing

Entering freshman students with UW credits register just as any other freshman student, regardless of how many UW credits they already have. In other words, there is no registration priority for students who previously took credits through UWHS. 

Students entering UW with a large number of credits earned in high school through UWHS, Advanced Placement, and other sources do not have to declare a major until they have completed 5 quarters at UW. 

Financial Aid

Students attending UW are eligible for financial aid for up to 225 attempted credits. Any college credits a student previously earned through the UWHS program, Advanced Placement, Running Start, and other sources count toward this total number of attempted credits. For additional information, students can contact the UW Office of Student Financial Aid at (206) 543-6101 or osfa@uw.edu.

Students considering other colleges and universities should always check directly with the college’s admissions, financial aid and scholarship offices if they have questions about the effect of College in the High School on their student aid or scholarship packages.