A new study from Public Agenda surveyed adult Americans to understand their experiences with postsecondary credit transfer and related policies.

Public Agenda conducted a survey of adult Americans to explore:

  • Prevalence of attempts to transfer postsecondary credit among the general public
  • Outcomes of Americans’ transfer attempts and experiences transferring
  • Public support for or opposition to policies and practices intended to improve transfer
  • Americans’ confidence and skepticism about the value of higher education
  • Americans’ perceptions of problems and obstacles toward earning a degree

Nearly four in ten respondents (39 percent) have tried to transfer credits toward earning higher education credentials. Among those, most tried to transfer credits toward earning a bachelor’s degree and nearly half have done so within the past five years.

Findings in the memo are based on a survey of 3,077 adult Americans, designed by Public Agenda and fielded May 2 to May 17, 2024, by SSRS in English and Spanish.