Key Takeaways
- The 75-credit transfer cap comes from a 2023 Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) rule – it applies only to Kansas public universities, not private schools like Newman University.
- Newman University caps community college transfer credits at 62 semester hours for its Adult and Professional Studies degree completion programs – not 75, and not the older 60-credit standard.
- Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) can help close the gap between transfer credits and degree requirements, but it comes with its own caps and conditions. Ask a Newman advisor directly about the exact CPL credit maximum before building your degree plan around prior learning credits.
- No matter how many credits transfer, Newman requires the last 45 credit hours to be earned there – and grade minimums apply to every transferred course. Verify with an advisor whether CPL credits count toward this residency requirement.
- The only way to know exactly how your credits count is to speak directly with an academic advisor before assuming anything transfers.
If you have spent years building up college credits and real-world experience, the last thing you want is to discover that a policy you read about online does not actually apply to the school you are enrolling in. The 75-credit cap gets cited often – but for adult learners considering a private university in Kansas, that number can be misleading from the start.
75 Credits Only Applies to Kansas Public Universities
The 75-credit transfer cap is a real rule – but it belongs to Kansas’s public university system, not to every college in the state. If you are planning to finish your bachelor’s degree at a Kansas Regents institution like KU, K-State, or Wichita State, the 2023 KBOR change is directly relevant to you. For everyone else – including students enrolling at a private school – that number is simply the wrong benchmark.
Private universities in Kansas set their own transfer credit policies, and those policies often look quite different from state rules. That distinction matters enormously when you are trying to figure out how much of your prior work actually counts toward a degree. Newman University’s Adult and Professional Studies program is a good example of why checking the actual institutional policy – not the statewide headline – is the smarter first step.
Where the 75-Credit Cap Actually Comes From
KBOR’s 2023 Rule Change
Before 2023, Kansas public universities generally capped community college transfer credits at 60 semester hours – roughly half of a standard 120-credit bachelor’s degree. The Kansas Board of Regents updated that ceiling in 2023, raising it to 75 semester hours from community or technical colleges. The intent was to make degree completion more accessible, particularly for students who had completed an associate degree and wanted a clear path to a four-year credential.
That said, the 45 upper-division credit requirement did not go away. Even under the new rule, students at Kansas Regents schools must still complete at least 45 credits at the 300-400 course level at the four-year institution. The transfer ceiling went up, but the residency demand stayed firmly in place.
Public vs. Private: Two Different Rulebooks
KBOR governs six state universities: KU, K-State, Wichita State, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, and Pittsburg State. Private institutions – Newman University, Benedictine College, Friends University, and others – are not part of the Regents system and are not required to follow KBOR’s transfer policies. They write their own rules, which means the 75-credit cap simply does not apply to them. Many private Kansas universities land somewhere in the 60-64 credit range for standard transfers, unless a formal articulation agreement changes the math.
Newman University Caps Community College Transfers at 62 Credits
Newman University accepts up to 62 semester hours of community college transfer credit toward a bachelor’s degree in its Adult and Professional Studies programs. That is above the old 60-credit norm and slightly below KBOR’s public-university ceiling – a middle ground that reflects Newman’s own academic standards and degree structure rather than any state mandate.
Why 62, Not 75 – and Not 60
The 62-credit figure is not arbitrary. As a private institution, Newman designs its degree programs around a specific blend of general education, major coursework, and upper-division residency. Accepting more than 62 community college credits would compress the space available for upper-level courses – which is where most of the academic value in a bachelor’s degree actually lives. The 62-hour cap preserves enough room for students to meet the 45-hour residency requirement while still building meaningful upper-division depth in their chosen program.
How Articulation Agreements Can Raise That Limit
Articulation agreements are formal partnerships between Newman and specific community colleges that pre-map course equivalencies. When one of these agreements is in place, it can unlock a higher number of accepted transfer credits because both institutions have already agreed on how those courses align with Newman’s degree requirements. Students coming from a partner college with an active articulation agreement may find that more of their credits count – and with less ambiguity – than a student transferring from an unaffiliated school. Checking whether your community college has an existing agreement with Newman before you apply is a step that can meaningfully change your credit picture.
Credit for Prior Learning Can Close the Gap
Transfer credits from other colleges are only one piece of the puzzle. For adult learners with professional experience, military service, or industry certifications, Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) is a separate – and often underused – pathway to reducing the coursework left to complete.
What Counts as CPL at Newman
Newman University’s CPL program recognizes learning that happened outside a classroom. Qualifying experiences and assessment methods include:
- Portfolio assessments – a documented record of skills and knowledge tied to specific course outcomes
- Standardized exams – including CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) and DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
- Industry certifications – credentials from recognized professional bodies
- Military transcripts – service training evaluated for academic equivalency
- Workplace and professional training – structured on-the-job learning with verifiable outcomes
The key distinction: CPL is not credit for having experience – it is credit for demonstrable, college-level learning resulting from that experience. An advisor works one-on-one with each student to identify which assessment method fits best and guides them through the documentation process.
CPL Caps: What to Verify with Newman Directly
KBOR limits CPL credits to 25% of total degree hours at public universities – roughly 30 credits in a 120-hour program. Newman, as a private institution, sets its own CPL cap independently. Because CPL policies vary by institution and even by program, ask a Newman advisor directly about the exact maximum number of CPL credits that can apply to your specific degree before building a plan around prior learning credits. Research from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) consistently shows that adult students who earn CPL credits are significantly more likely to complete their degrees – but only when those credits are properly evaluated and applied.
Constraints That Matter More Than the Raw Number
Whether a school accepts 60, 62, or 75 transfer credits, the structural requirements underneath the cap often shape your actual degree timeline more than the raw ceiling does.
Newman’s Residency Rule: Last 45 Hours Must Be Earned There
Newman requires that the final 45 credit hours of a bachelor’s degree be completed at Newman. This residency rule ensures that students finish their degree in the academic environment whose diploma they will receive. For students transferring in 62 credits, that still leaves a meaningful block of coursework – mostly upper-division – to complete at Newman. CPL credits may or may not count toward the residency requirement depending on how they are applied; verify this detail directly with a Newman advisor before finalizing your degree plan.
Grade Minimums and Course-Level Requirements
A transferred course only counts if it meets Newman’s grade floor. Most institutions require at least a C for a course to apply toward degree requirements – a D grade, even if it appears on a transcript, will generally be rejected. Beyond grades, some degree programs require a minimum number of upper-division credits in the major, meaning lower-division community college courses may transfer onto a transcript but still will not fulfill certain major-specific requirements. Course-level fit matters as much as credit quantity.
Talk to Newman’s Advisors Before Assuming Any Credit Transfers
Every student’s credit history is different – different schools, different courses, different grades, different life experiences. A number like 62 credits or 75 credits is a ceiling, not a guarantee. Courses still need to meet grade requirements, fit program outcomes, and align with Newman’s degree structure before they count. CPL credits need proper documentation and assessment. Articulation agreements may or may not apply depending on where prior credits were earned.
The most reliable way to get an accurate picture of where you stand is a direct conversation with Newman’s advising team. They review transcripts individually, assess CPL opportunities, and help map a realistic path to graduation – not a generic one. Assumptions made without that conversation can lead to surprises mid-program that cost both time and money.
For adult learners ready to see how their prior credits and experience stack up, Newman University offers individually tailored degree completion pathways designed specifically to meet students where they are.
Newman University
3100 McCormick
Wichita
Kansas
67213
United States
