08/19/2025
SUNY Cortland was named by Phi Theta Kappa in its 2025 Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the university’s success in enabling excellence and success among community college transfer students.
Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society for students at associate degree-granting colleges with close to 1,250 chapters in 11 countries and 220,000 active members.
“Cortland wouldn’t be the same without our transfer students. They continue to bring such a wealth of knowledge, drive, and dedication to everything they do,” said Greg Diller ’07, SUNY Cortland’s coordinator of transition programs. “From our current Student Government Association president to our nine Transfer Network Team members this fall to the 52 new students inducted into the Tau Sigma Honor Society for transfer students this past spring, they are making a difference on our campus. We are proud to continue to be a place that new transfer students can feel comfortable and find their sense of belonging.”
More than 900 four-year colleges and universities are considered for the Transfer Honor Roll, with Cortland one of 251 selected. The university has made the list every year since 2018. SUNY Cortland, which had 404 transfers last academic year, is New York’s only public institution to be honored annually during that time.
The annual list is based on analysis from the National Student Clearinghouse and data submitted by four-year institutions that Phi Theta Kappa uses to help students with their school and career pathways.
The rating relies on 40 metric areas, including five major ones:
- Success rates of transfer students.
- Campus friendliness and sense of belonging.
- Availability of need- and merit-based financial aid.
- Acceptance of transfer credits toward a four-year degree program.
- Recruitment experience and campus life for transfers.
SUNY Cortland offers a wide array of transfer support, including:
- Online tools that help students map a clear path to the university.
- A formal transfer orientation program.
- Transfer-specific recognition and scholarship potential through the Tau Sigma Honor Society.
- The Transfer Network Team, a group of returning transfer students who assist new transfer students in connecting with campus resources and each other.
- COR 201, a one-credit experience course for new transfer students, modeled after the opportunity for first-year students.
- National Transfer Student Week, an October event series to celebrate transfer students.
- Reverse transfer degrees, enabling transfer students to complete their community college associate degree while working toward their bachelor’s degree at SUNY Cortland.
“Transferring from one school to another is not an easy task,” Diller said. “Having to start over making friends and adjusting to new policies and professors is a lot to deal with on top of classes, work, commuting in some cases. Our office, along with many other resources on campus, are happy to be the people they can turn to and get them on the right path.”
More information on the transfer application process at SUNY Cortland is available online.