Transfer Students

We're excited you're considering transferring to Highline, and you're probably wondering which previous college classes will count toward your program of study.

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Winter 2027 Quarter
Winter Quarter Starts January 11, 2027. Admission application is open until January 22 for Winter 2027.
Spring 2027 Quarter
Spring Quarter Starts April 5, 2027. Admission application is open until April 16 for Spring 2027.
Summer 2027 Quarter
Summer Quarter Starts June 28, 2027. Admission application is open until July 8 for Summer 2027.

View all Important Dates and Deadlines

Transfer Students

If you’ve completed college-level coursework elsewhere, you can apply for admission online and select ‘transfer’ as your Student Type.

How to Apply to Highline

Admission Steps and Admission Form Instructions

Apply to Highline College
Complete the online admissions application.

Apply to Highline Now

International Students: Please complete the International Student Application to get started at Highline.
Questions? Find more information on applying based on your student type.
Explore Funding & Payment Options
College costs include tuition, fees, transportation, parking, books, and supplies. Highline College provides many funding sources to students, including scholarships and grants that don't require repayment. The initial step is to apply for financial aid.

Apply for Financial Aid
Activate Student Accounts
Activate your ctclink, email, and Canvas accounts. The ctcLink Student Homepage is the all-access account that will remain with you throughout your time at Highline College. Visit our Student Accounts for more info and instructions.

Activate Your Accounts
Meet with Entry Advisor
Your Entry Advisor is here to support you in this process. Students will complete a ‘Get Started! Questionnaire‘ in their admissions letter and schedule a meeting with an Entry Advisor. If you do not receive the questionnaire, connect with Entry Advising.

Visit Entry Advising
Complete New Student Orientation
Getting familiar with college and Highline’s campus resources is important to your success. Student orientation is encouraged for all students, but it is required before enrolling if this is your first time attending college.

New Student Orientation
Meet with Academic Pathway Advisor
Advisors will help you to explore your educational goals and select your academic pathway.

Academic Pathway Advisor
Enroll in Classes
Enroll in classes once new student class enrollment has begun. It’s easy to enroll using ctcLink. View the tutorial on how to enroll in classes using ctcLink.

Get Enrolled in Classes
Pay Tuition & Fees
Pay for your classes by the quarterly payment deadline. Pay tuition and fees in ctcLink, or visit the Cashier's Office for info about payment options. Follow up with your funding sources to confirm eligibility or sign up for a payment plan. Learn about the residency information to see if you need to submit a residency review request for tuition purposes.

Pay Tuition & Fees

Create or Log into Your Account
Highline uses a statewide Community and Technical College admissions application. Visit the Online Admission Application and click 'Create an Account' to get started. Create your username and password, which you will use to log into the application.

If you have a ctcLink account, please use your ctcLink ID number and password to log into the application. This includes ctcLink numbers from previous Washington Community and Technical College.

International (F1 Visa) students seeking an I-20 should apply for admission through International Student Programs with the International Students Application.
Start Application
Log into the Online Admission Application using the username and password you just created or your ctcLink account. Select Highline College from the drop-down menu.
Start Application
Select Student Type
- First Year – For students who are attending college for the first time.
- Reapplying – For students who have attended Highline College previously but have not enrolled in classes in the last year.
- Running Start – For high school students applying for the Running Start program.
- Transfer – For students who attended college before and are transferring in college credits.
Select Your Program of Study
Select your Program of Study. If you are unsure, pick the one that fits best for now. You can change it later. Academic Program options:
- Academic – For students who are seeking an associate degree.
- Baccalaureate – For students who are seeking a Bachelor’s degree that is offered at Highline College.
- Non-Award Seeking – For students who don’t intend to get a degree or certificate.
- Professional Technical – For students who plan to get a degree or certificate in a professional/technical field such as nursing, accounting, and business administration.
- Transitional Studies – For students completing coursework at the pre-college level, such as High School Diploma or GED.
Select When You WIll Start
Select the term (which quarter) you would like to start.
Select Your Degree or Certificate
Select from the drop-down menu the degree or certificate you are seeking.
Like your program choice, pick the best fit and change later as needed.
Click Apply
By clicking 'Apply' you will advance to the remaining steps where you will enter your 'Personal Information.'
Enter Personal Information
Complete each of the six sections to provide your information.
- Personal Information
  - Social Security Number: Your Social Security number is not required for admission, but we encourage you to provide it to help speed up processing. It is also needed when applying for financial aid.
  - Email: Enter the email address you would like us to use to communicate with you.
  - Address: Enter your complete current address, including your apartment or unit number, if applicable.
- Education
- High School Information
- College Information
- If your school is not listed, select the checkbox next to “Add School/College” to manually enter the school name, country, state, and city.
- Ethnicity Details
- Residency Questions
- Regardless of your U.S. citizenship or immigration status, you are welcome to attend Highline College. The residency questions are used only to determine your tuition rate. Visit the Residency website to learn more about how residency status and tuition rates are determined.
- Supplemental Questions
Last Step
Review your application to make sure the information is correct. Once you are satisfied that your answers are correct, click 'Yes, I accept,' then click 'Submit Now.'

Congratulations! You've completed the Online Admissions Application.
What Happens Next?
Check Your Email
- If we need additional information to process your application, we will contact you at the email address you provided.
- Once your application has been processed, we will send welcome emails to the same email address. See the Welcome Email section below for more information.
- Please check your email regularly, including your spam or junk folder, to make sure you don't miss any important messages.

Welcome to Highline!

Once your application has been processed, we will send your welcome email is sent to the email address used on the application.

If you do not receive the welcome email:

Check your spam or junk folder, as emails from Admissions may be filtered there.
Log back into your application account and review the Application Summary to confirm that:
- The Institution is listed as Highline College.
- The Application Status is Submitted.
If your application status is Submitted and more than four business days have passed since you submitted your application, contact admissions@highline.edu

No matter what your status in the US is, you are welcome to attend Highline. Your citizenship and residency status will affect your tuition rate. Learn more about how residency affects your tuition rate.

Your enrollment will be activated for the term you selected on your admission application.
Want to start in a later quarter? If you will not be enrolled in your selected term and would like to start in a later term, submit the Admission Deferral Form to request a change to your start term so your record can be activated for registration.
Application Validity: Your admission application is valid for one year from the date of submission. If you have not enrolled or submitted an Admission Deferral Form within that year, you will need to submit a new admission application.
Want to enroll in the current term after applications have closed? Email admissions@highline.edu to request a change to the current term.

Residency Information: Tuition Rates

Resident Tuition Rate

As a state public college, Highline College has different tuition rates for state residents and non-residents. State law sets the rules governing who qualifies as a resident for tuition-paying purposes. Students must meet these requirements to be verified as residents for tuition purposes.

Resident Tuition Rate Information

Transcript Evaluation

If you plan to complete a degree or certificate and graduate from Highline, you will need to submit official transcripts and request a request a transcript evaluation after enrolling for classes. This evaluation will determine which credits will transfer toward your degree or certificate.

Transcript Evaluation Steps

Step 1
Apply to Highline to receive your ctcLink Student ID.
Step 2
Enroll in classes.
Step 2
Gather your Official Transcripts from your former colleges.
Step 3
Submit official transcripts from former college(s).
Step 4
Submit the Transcripts Evaluation Form.
Step 5
Find more information about Transferring Credits from Regional Institutions see below.

Transfer Course Equivalency

Your credits from Washington State Public Colleges and Universities may transfer to Highline. Actual transfer credits will be determined based on your individual transcript, limits on the number of credits allowed to transfer, and how courses fit with the degree or certificate you are working towards.

Learn more about Course Equivalency

Regionally Accredited College or University

Accreditation is a process of external review used by the higher education community to assure quality and ongoing improvement. A regional accrediting agency is recognized by the Federal Department of Education and will accredit entire colleges and universities within a designated region of the United States. Most nonprofit institutions are regionally accredited.

To find out if your school is regionally accredited, use the link for your school’s region from the table below.

Regional Accreditation Agency	Member States
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)	Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)	Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)	New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)	Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)	Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior Colleges and Universities Community and Junior Colleges	California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Palau, Northern Marianas Islands