Transfer Students
Transferring to Lewis & Clark College
A liberal arts college with a public conscience and global reach, Lewis & Clark is the ideal place to explore the world and find your place in it. We welcome transfer students for the maturity and diversity they bring to the college—so much so that we purposefully reserve places in the incoming class for you. In fact, we welcome approximately 50 transfers to our student body each year, with students coming from both two-year and other four-year colleges.
Our office will consider you a transfer applicant if you complete 12 or more semester credits (18 quarter credits) of college coursework after graduating from high school (or earning a GED) and before your enrollment at Lewis & Clark.
Please contact Karin Dobbins Sherer at transfer@lclark.edu if you have specific questions about transferring to L&C.
If you have not yet graduated from high school, please read over our guidelines regarding high school students earning college credits prior to graduation.
What Transfer Students Are Saying About Lewis & Clark
Shvetank Prakash BA ’20More about ShvetankThe best way Lewis & Clark has supported me as a transfer student has been by not treating me like one. I have been welcomed into the existing community and accepted as an “original” student from day one, which has aided my integration into the culture of this great school.
Emily Davis BA ’19More about EmilyI transferred to Lewis & Clark because it offered me everything I wanted and needed in a college experience at 18 years old, except by then I was 23 and ready to make full use of it!
Greta Burton BA ’22More about GretaUltimately, I let fear guide me and I chose a different institution, going against my instinct. That instinct brought me back to L&C, and now I cannot imagine having attended school anywhere else.
Life at L&C
On-Campus Housing
Lewis & Clark is a residential community and all new students, including transfers, are required to live on campus their first four semesters. You are exempt from this policy if you are entering the college with at least 61 semester credits (junior standing), are living with your parent(s) in the Portland area, are married, or are 21 years or older at the time of enrollment. Housing information will be available to enrolling students after
May 1.
Overseas Study Programs
Transfer students are eligible to participate in Lewis & Clark’s renowned overseas study programs. Due to the timing of the application process to go overseas, students are generally unable to participate on a study abroad program during their first year at the college. The earlier in your college career you begin at Lewis & Clark, the easier you will find it to spend a semester or year overseas.
Transitioning to Lewis & Clark
Our community recognizes that as a transfer student, your needs differ from those of a first-year student. From working with you in the admission process to welcoming you during our New Student Orientation program, we make every effort to ensure you have a smooth transition.
We have found that the transfer students who are the most successful are those who recognize that, while they are not entering college for the first time, they are entering Lewis & Clark for the first time. We encourage you to ask questions, seek advice from your new community members, and approach your new college experience with an enthusiastic, open mind so you can make the most of the opportunities you’ll find here.