Transfer credit guides / Excelsior University · Updated September 2026
Excelsior Transfer Credits: Up to 113 of 120 — and the Courses That Earn Nothing
Excelsior University is StraighterLine's flagship academic partner and one of the original degree-completion schools — Liberal Arts students can transfer up to 113 of 120 credits. But its own guide also lists 15 StraighterLine courses that earn no credit at all. Here's both sides, from Excelsior's official guide.
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Verify Excelsior’s current per-credit rate on excelsior.edu (partner pricing may differ — a minimum of 12 Excelsior credits is required for partner pricing per Excelsior’s pathway guides); we re-check monthly. Assumes 3-credit courses and 70%+ passes.
How to transfer StraighterLine credits to Excelsior
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1Click through to StraighterLine and lock in the deal
Create your account — but pick courses from the table below first, and skip the 15 no-credit courses entirely.
—— Code copied · StraighterLine opened in a new tab -
2Check the no-credit list, then confirm with Excelsior
Fifteen StraighterLine courses earn nothing at Excelsior, two more duplicate each other, and nursing programs restrict A&P/Micro sources — confirm your exact list with an Excelsior advisor before buying.
- 3Pass each course with 70% or better
Self-paced, 2–3 at a time; a batch clears in about a month.
- 4Send your free transcript to Excelsior
From your StraighterLine dashboard, free. Submit everything with your application or within 30 days of admission — evaluations are free in that window.
- 5Confirm your evaluation before day 30
After 30 days post-admission, each new evaluation costs $300 — get everything in early and verify what applied.
Key facts: StraighterLine transfer credit at Excelsior
Excelsior’s Liberal Arts bachelor’s accepts up to 113 transfer credits of 120 — and 53 toward an associate degree.
Excelsior’s official guide maps 60 StraighterLine courses to credit, with lower/upper-level classifications.
Fifteen StraighterLine courses — including Nutrition, Medical Terminology, and First Aid — earn no Excelsior credit.
The minimum grade for a StraighterLine course to transfer to Excelsior is 70%; credit posts as Pass with no GPA impact.
Credit evaluation is free with your application and for 30 days after admission; afterwards it’s $300 per new evaluation.
Every Excelsior degree requires 30 upper-level credits — and StraighterLine’s Biochemistry (4 UL) + lab (1 UL) chip at it.
Partnership students admitted after December 31, 2024 must complete at least 15 Excelsior course credits.
Most programs accept transfer credit earned within 10 years (5 years for IT/Cyber/CS and nursing A&P/Micro).
- Excelsior University is StraighterLine’s flagship academic partner and publishes its own StraighterLine Course Equivalency guide with transfer guidelines.
- Accounting II and Managerial Accounting duplicate each other at Excelsior — only one can count.
- Nursing programs exclude non-collegiate credit for Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Statistics and several other requirements — critical if you’re buying nursing prerequisites.
- CS102 Introduction to Programming earns elective credit but does not satisfy the programming requirement of any Excelsior technology degree.
Facts verified September 14, 2026 against the sources at the bottom of this page.
The upper-level angle: 30 UL credits stand between most transfers and a degree
Every Excelsior degree requires 30 upper-level credits — usually the expensive part, because most transfer credit lands lower-level. Excelsior’s guide gives StraighterLine one real UL play: Biochemistry transfers as Survey of Biochemistry at 4 upper-level credits, and its lab adds 1 more. Five UL credits from roughly $200 of coursework is the cheapest upper-level credit you’ll find anywhere. The rest of your UL requirement needs other sources — which is exactly the conversation to have with an Excelsior advisor inside your free 30-day window.
The cheapest upper-level credit on this site
$300 per evaluation after — submit everything early
Accounting II and Managerial Accounting: only one counts
The honest list: 15 StraighterLine courses that earn NO credit at Excelsior
Straight from Excelsior's own guide. Don't spend money on these if this is your school.
- ECE101 Foundations of Early Childhood Education
- ECE102 Early Child Development
- ECE103 Teaching Students with Exceptionalities
- ECE104 Classroom Management
- MED101 First Aid/CPR
- ENV101 Introduction to Environmental Science
- NUTR101 Introduction to Nutrition
- MEDTERM101 Medical Terminology
- PE101 Personal Fitness & Wellness
- PSY120 Life-Span Development
- Introduction to Networking
- Networking Fundamentals
- Intro to Personal Computer Maintenance
- IT101 Information Technology Fundamentals (expired)
- Database Administration Fundamentals (expired)
Not enrolled yet — or already admitted? The 30-day window rules both
Excelsior has no before-first-term cutoff. Its deadline is financial: evaluations are free with your application and for 30 days after admission — then $300 each. Pick your scenario:
Path 1You haven’t applied to Excelsior yet
- 1Stack StraighterLine credits firstUse the table — and skip the 15 no-credit courses. Up to 113 credits could transfer into Liberal Arts.
- 2Apply & submit everything togetherAll transcripts, certs, and training with your application = one free, complete evaluation.
- 3Start with most of your degree doneOnly 15 Excelsior credits (post-2024 partnership admits) plus your remaining requirements to go.
Path 2You’re already admitted to Excelsior
- 1Count your days since admissionInside 30 days, evaluations are still free — move now. After, each new evaluation is $300.
- 2Fill remaining gaps with StraighterLineConfirm with your advisor which requirements or electives remain — and whether Biochem’s 5 UL credits help.
- 3Send your free transcriptOne submission, everything at once — don’t drip courses into multiple $300 evaluations.
The strategy Excelsior’s fee structure rewards is simple: front-load. Finish your StraighterLine stack before applying, submit everything in one batch, and get one free evaluation covering it all. Students who transfer piecemeal after admission pay $300 per round. Time limits also apply — 10 years for most programs, 5 for IT/Cybersecurity/Computer Science transfer credit and for nursing A&P and Microbiology — so older credits need checking too.
All 60 StraighterLine mappings that could transfer to Excelsior
Mirrored from Excelsior University’s official StraighterLine Course Equivalency guide (December 2024). LL = lower level, UL = upper level.
| StraighterLine course | Excelsior course/credit it could satisfy | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENG101 English Composition I | English Composition I | 3 LL | Written English; named match |
| ENG102 English Composition II | English Composition II | 3 LL | Written English; named match |
| BUS105 Business Communication | Humanities credit | 3 LL | |
| MAT101 College Algebra | College Algebra | 3 LL | Mathematics; named match |
| MAT102 Quantitative Reasoning | Mathematics credit | 3 LL | |
| MAT201 Precalculus | Mathematics credit | 4 LL | 4 credits |
| MAT250 General Calculus I | Mathematics credit | 3 LL | |
| MAT251 General Calculus II | Mathematics credit | 3 LL | |
| MAT150 Business Statistics | Business Statistics | 3 LL | Mathematics; named match |
| MAT202 Introduction to Statistics | Statistics | 3 LL | Mathematics; named match |
| BIO101 Introduction to Biology | Biology | 3 LL | Natural Science |
| BIO101L Introduction to Biology Lab | Biology Lab | 1 LL | Natural Science |
| BIO201 Anatomy and Physiology I | Anatomy and Physiology I | 3 LL | Natural Science; named match; nursing-program restrictions apply |
| BIO201L Anatomy and Physiology I Lab | Anatomy and Physiology I Lab | 1 LL | Natural Science |
| BIO202 Anatomy and Physiology II | Anatomy and Physiology II | 3 LL | Natural Science; named match; nursing restrictions |
| BIO202L Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | 1 LL | Natural Science |
| BIO250 Microbiology | Introduction to Microbiology | 3 LL | Natural Science; named match; nursing restrictions |
| BIO250L Microbiology Lab | Microbiology Lab | 1 LL | Natural Science |
| CHEM101 General Chemistry I | Natural Science credit | 3 LL | |
| CHEM101L General Chemistry I Lab | Natural Science credit | 1 LL | |
| CHEM250 Organic Chemistry I | Organic Chemistry I | 3 LL | Natural Science; named match |
| CHEM250L Organic Chemistry I Lab | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 LL | Natural Science |
| CHEM251 Organic Chemistry II | Organic Chemistry II | 3 LL | Natural Science; named match |
| CHEM251L Organic Chemistry II Lab | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 LL | Natural Science |
| CHEM450 Biochemistry | Survey of Biochemistry | 4 UL | Natural Science; UPPER-LEVEL credit — counts toward Excelsior's 30-UL requirement |
| CHEM450L Biochemistry Lab | Intro to Biochemistry Lab | 1 UL | Natural Science; upper-level credit |
| PHY250 General Physics I | Natural Science credit | 3 LL | |
| PHY250L General Physics I Lab | Natural Science credit | 1 LL | |
| ACC101 Accounting I | Accounting I | 3 LL | Business–Accounting Core |
| ACC102 Accounting II | Managerial Accounting | 3 LL | Business–Accounting Core; duplicates ACC150 — only ONE can count |
| ACC150 Managerial Accounting | ACCT I02 Managerial Accounting | 3 LL | (duplicate); duplicates Accounting II — only one on file |
| ACC151 Financial Accounting | ACC*211 | 3 LL | Financial Accounting Core |
| BUS101 Introduction to Business | Introduction to Business | 3 LL | Business Elective |
| BUS106 Business Ethics | Business Ethics | 3 LL | Humanities/Ethics; does not meet BNX or BEL requirement |
| BUS110 Business Law | Business Law | 3 LL | Business Core/Elective |
| BUS120 Organizational Behavior | Organizational Behavior | 3 LL | Social Science |
| BUS201 Principles of Management | Principles of Management | 3 LL | Business/Management |
| FIN101 Personal Finance | (Applied Professional/General Elective) | 3 LL | Elective |
| ECON101 Macroeconomics | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 LL | Social Science/Business |
| ECON102 Microeconomics | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 LL | Social Science |
| CS102 Introduction to Programming | (Applied Prof/General Elective, BSL) | 3 LL | Elective; does NOT apply to programming requirement of any Tech degree |
| PSY101 Introduction to Psychology | Introduction to Psychology | 3 LL | Social Science |
| SOC101 Introduction to Sociology | Introduction to Sociology | 3 LL | Social Science |
| ANTH101 Cultural Anthropology | Cultural Anthropology | 3 LL | Social Science/History |
| POLS101 American Government | Social Science/History credit | 3 LL | |
| CJ101 Introduction to Criminal Justice | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 LL | Social Science |
| CIV101 Western Civilization I | Western Civilization I | 3 LL | Social Science/History |
| CIV102 Western Civilization II | Western Civilization II | 3 LL | Social Science/History |
| CIV103 Survey of World History | History | 3 LL | Social Science/History |
| USHIST101 United States History I | US History I | 3 LL | Social Science/History |
| USHIST102 United States History II | US History II | 3 LL | Social Science/History |
| PHIL101 Introduction to Philosophy | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 LL | Humanities |
| REL101 Introduction to Religion | Introduction to Religion | 3 LL | Humanities |
| ART101 Art Appreciation | Humanities credit | 3 LL | |
| COM101 Introduction to Communications | Humanities credit | 3 LL | |
| SPAN101 Spanish I | Humanities credit | 3 LL | |
| SPAN102 Spanish II | Humanities credit | 3 LL | |
| PHARM103 Pharmacology (also Pharmacology I & II) | (Applied Prof/General Elective) | 3 LL | Elective |
| ECE105 Language and Literacy | (Applied Prof/General Elective) | 3 LL | Elective; only ECE course earning credit |
| SUCCESS101 Student Success | (Applied Prof/General Elective) | 3 LL | Elective |
Source: Excelsior’s own published guide. The 15 no-credit courses are listed in their own section above. Confirm your program’s list — especially for nursing — with an Excelsior advisor.
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Excelsior + StraighterLine questions
Does Excelsior University accept StraighterLine credits?
Yes — Excelsior is StraighterLine’s flagship academic partner and publishes its own StraighterLine Course Equivalency guide mapping 60 courses to Excelsior credit. Pass with 70% or higher; credit posts as Pass with no GPA impact. Fifteen StraighterLine courses earn no Excelsior credit, so check the list on this page before buying.
How many credits can I transfer to Excelsior?
Excelsior’s Liberal Arts bachelor’s accepts up to 113 of 120 credits in transfer (53 toward an associate). Partnership students admitted after December 31, 2024 must complete at least 15 Excelsior course credits, every degree requires 30 upper-level credits, and program-specific limits apply — especially in nursing and technology.
Which StraighterLine courses do NOT transfer to Excelsior?
Per Excelsior’s own guide: the four ECE education courses (Foundations, Early Child Development, Teaching Students with Exceptionalities, Classroom Management), First Aid/CPR, Environmental Science, Nutrition, Medical Terminology, Personal Fitness & Wellness, Life-Span Development, and several IT courses (Networking, PC Maintenance, IT Fundamentals, Database Administration). Language and Literacy is the only ECE course that earns credit.
Is there a deadline to transfer StraighterLine credits to Excelsior?
Not a cutoff — a cost window. Credit evaluation is free when submitted with your application and for up to 30 days after admission; after that, each new Post Admission Credit Evaluation costs $300. Submit everything in one batch, early.
Can StraighterLine courses earn upper-level credit at Excelsior?
Yes: Biochemistry transfers as Survey of Biochemistry at 4 upper-level credits and its lab adds 1 more — 5 UL credits toward the 30 every Excelsior degree requires. All other StraighterLine mappings post as lower-level.
Can I use StraighterLine for Excelsior nursing prerequisites?
Carefully — Excelsior’s nursing programs exclude non-collegiate sources of credit for Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Statistics, and several other requirements, and A&P/Micro must be completed within 5 years for the nursing degree programs. Confirm with an Excelsior advisor before purchasing nursing prereqs.
Sources and verification
Facts checked on September 14, 2026 against the following. We re-verify monthly. The equivalency table and the no-credit list both mirror Excelsior’s own published guide.