Transfer to Nichols

Our team is Certified Transfer Friendly and nationally ranked for mid-career salary, return on investment, and economic mobility.

We’ll work with you to make the transfer process as easy as possible, with no application fees, a 48 hour turnaround on admissions decisions, and dedicated student success coaches ready to address all your questions.

The Difference is Home

Nichols is a small, private, non-profit college focused on professional development and personal empowerment. With over 27 undergraduate degrees and certificates, 4 master’s degrees, dual degrees and 5 MBA tracks, we’re consistently evolving our curriculum with feedback from today’s top employers to ensure that every one of our graduates is ready to compete and succeed.

But it’s our community that truly makes Nichols home. There’s something special about the family of students, teachers, and staff who live, work, and play on the hill every day. You’ll know it when you feel it, so join us anytime for a tour of our amazing 200+ acre campus in Dudley, MA.

Easy Credit Transfers

Transfer up to 90 credits from your prior college experience. No matter where you’re coming from, our talented staff is here to help you get organized and make a positive change in your life without sacrificing any of the hard work you’ve already put in.

For more information about transferring your credits and the Massachusetts Independent College Transfer Guarantee, please read more below or download our full disclosure.

Community College ABLE Initiative

If you’re a student at an area community college, we’ve made your transfer process even easier–and completely seamless. Through our ABLE initiative, students attending one of our partnering community colleges can transfer their entire associate’s degree to Nichols and finish their bachelor’s degree here at an affordable rate. Learn more on our community college transfer programs page.

Oscar’s Story

Watch Video about Oscar Chavez explaining his transfer experience

Oscar Chavez ’20 knows what it’s like to have the rug pulled out from under you by a college, and he found his new home on the hill.

My stomach dropped when I learned that my old college was closing. It didn’t feel real. A friend recommended Nichols, so I came to tour campus and I immediately knew deep down that this was going to be the best decision. When I started, all the professors reached out to make sure I was OK, even the president asked if I needed anything. Nichols was a perfect fit for me, and I feel like I accomplished more in a year here than in the rest of my college career.

Oscar Chavez

Additional Transfer Details

We accept applications throughout the year and there is no fee to apply. Applicants will need to submit the following information:

  • A completed Transfer Common Application to Nichols College
  • Official final high school transcript with the date of graduation on it (waived for students with 24 or more college credits)
  • Official college transcript(s) from all institutions attended
  • Essay or personal statement regarding your desire to transfer (waived for students transferring from a partner institution)
  • One letter of recommendation (waived for students transferring from a partner institution)

Send your official transcripts from all previous institutions you attended. All admission documents and correspondence should be emailed to admissions@nichols.edu or mailed to:

Nichols College Office of Admissions

124 Center Road

Dudley, MA 01571

Please complete your Transfer Common Application online.

This guide is for informational purposes only. Final decisions about acceptance of course credit will be made by the Registrar’s Office.

Courses for transfer credit are evaluated according to the following guidelines:

  • You must have earned a grade of a “C” or higher in each course
  • Courses must have been taken at a regionally accredited college or university
  • Courses taken must be comparable to those offered at Nichols
  • Courses taken must also be applicable to one of our degree programs
  • Mathematics and accounting courses must have been taken within the last 10 years
  • Computer courses must have been taken within the last 5 years
  • The maximum number of transfer credits allowed is 90 credits
    • Only 6 credits are permitted toward a junior or senior specialization
    • Only 3 credits are permitted for transfer credit toward a minor
    • A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred from DANTES or CLEP
    • The capstone course (MGMT 485) is ineligible for transfer credit and must be taken at Nichols College
  • Nichols College evaluates non-traditional credit according to the recommendations of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and courses must be American Council on Education (ACE) approved
  • Once enrolled at Nichols, you must receive approval from the Registrar before registering for course(s) at another institution for transfer credit to Nichols College
  • All transfer students must take at least 30 semester hours at Nichols College, immediately preceding graduation and complete all degree requirements for graduation.
    • 30 of the final 36 credits must be taken at Nichols College
  • In order to be eligible for commencement honors, a student must take 30 credit-hours at Nichols College and must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.20

Nichols does not accept ESL, remedial and pass or fail courses.

Students will have credits from their associate’s degree transferred in as bulk credits. In total, students who enter under this agreement can transfer up to 90 credits, starting them in their junior year. Additional credits may be reviewed on an individual basis.

Students may be eligible for our full range of scholarships and grants.

  • Students applying for need-based financial aid who are filling out the FAFSA may also qualify for a transfer grant between $2,000 and $4,000, depending on need
  • Students must have completed at least 12 credit hours of college work to qualify for the transfer grant.

Through our ABLE Initiative, we offer community college transfer programs that create a pathway for you to earn a business degree in high-demand fields from a leading private college at an affordable rate. If you’re a student at one our partner schools, you can seamlessly transfer your entire associate’s degree (or even up to 90 credits) and finish your bachelor’s degree by earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree at Nichols.

Our partners:

  • Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI)
  • Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC)
  • Quinsigamond Community College (QCC)
  • Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC)

Read more for full partnership details and concentrations, and contact your college’s transfer representative.

Nichols College is an active member of the Massachusetts Independent College Transfer Guarantee.

The MA Guarantee is a transfer partnership between MA community colleges and participating four-year colleges and universities. Eligible community college graduates are able to transfer seamlessly to the following programs – admission guaranteed!

Qualified Mass Guarantee students are eligible for all Nichols College’s Academic Programs.

The Massachusetts Independent College Transfer Guarantee (Massachusetts Guarantee) builds upon existing Massachusetts’ transfer policy for public institutions of higher education, with the intention of creating a seamless system of transfer in the state and expanding transfer options for Massachusetts community college students. The Massachusetts Guarantee will ensure acceptance at a participating independent Guarantee institution for associate degree holding students who have met a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5. At the core of the Massachusetts Guarantee is an unwavering commitment to equity, opportunity and access for all students in higher education.

Final decisions about acceptance of course credit will be made by the Registrar’s Office.

The General Education Foundation (formerly known as the MassTransfer Block or MTB) refers to a set of general education, core, or distribution requirements, consisting of 34 college-level credits. These credits, when completed together with a 2.0 or higher GPA, fully transfer and will satisfy the general education/core requirements at Nichols.

We want to talk to you!

We’re here to help! Contact us if you have questions about Nichols, our application process, advising, orientation, or scheduling a visit. Call or email our Admission office at 800-470-3379 or admissions@nichols.edu.

Contact Us

Marissa Browning

Director of Transfer and International Admissions

Office: 508-213-2382

Email: Marissa.Browning@nichols.edu