SNHU vs UMGC for an Online IT Degree: Which Transfers More Credits?

If you are weighing Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) against University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) for an online bachelor's in information technology or cybersecurity, transfer credit is almost certainly the lever that will decide your real cost. Both schools are large, regionally accredited, adult-focused online universities. But the question in the title — which transfers more credits? — has a more honest answer than "whichever one we're paid to recommend," and we are going to give it to you straight.

This comparison is research-based. We did not enroll in either program. The statements below are drawn from each school's published transfer policies, tuition pages, and accreditation records, plus patterns reported by students in public reviews. Transfer rules, certification-credit awards, and tuition are published-rate snapshots that change — confirm the current details directly with each school before you enroll.

Disclosure: Undergraduted is reader-supported. When you request information from a school through our links, we may earn a referral commission via CJ at no extra cost to you. This never changes which programs we recommend, and it does not change the transfer-credit facts or cost math below. UMGC is a named comparison, not a partner — and as you will see, we still credit it where it genuinely leads.

The honest, one-sentence answer

On raw transfer ceilings, SNHU and UMGC are similar — both publish a maximum of roughly 90 of the 120 credits a bachelor's requires. On the breadth of what counts, UMGC is the stronger transfer school for IT students, especially anyone bringing military training or industry certifications.

UMGC was effectively built for the military and working-adult audience, and its reputation rests on aggressively crediting non-traditional learning: training on the Joint Services Transcript (JST), and IT certifications like CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, and certain Cisco credentials. If a large share of your prior learning comes from those sources rather than a traditional college transcript, UMGC will very often count more of it.

That does not make UMGC the automatic right answer. The school that transfers the most credit is not automatically the one that finishes cheapest, because the per-credit price of the credits you still have to pay for matters just as much. That is where SNHU competes — and where this decision gets interesting.

At-a-glance comparison

The table compares the two online IT/cybersecurity bachelor's experiences on the dimensions that actually move your transfer count and total cost. Figures are illustrative published-rate snapshots for 2026 planning, not quotes — verify current numbers with each school.

Check current options: Southern New Hampshire University — Online Bachelor's Degrees

Both schools are legitimately regionally accredited, which is the single most important box to check for any online degree — it governs federal financial-aid eligibility, whether credits transfer, and how the degree reads to most employers. SNHU is accredited by NECHE and UMGC by MSCHE; both are U.S. Department of Education–recognized regional accreditors of equal standing, so neither is a "lesser" stamp. Still, verify current accreditation directly with each school and the U.S. Department of Education's database before enrolling — and note that some IT programs carry additional program-level recognition you can ask each admissions office about.

Why "which transfers more" depends on where your credit comes from

Most "SNHU vs UMGC" articles answer the transfer question with a single number. That is misleading, because the answer changes with the source of your prior learning. Let's separate it out — and remember these are illustrative planning scenarios, not promises of credit, price, time, or any outcome.

If your credit comes from another college

For a student transferring a traditional college transcript — say 45 to 60 credits of prior coursework — the two schools are broadly comparable. Both publish ceilings around 90 credits, both accept regionally accredited coursework, and both will run an official evaluation. The deciding factor here is less "who transfers more" and more "who charges less for the credits I still owe." That tends to favor whichever school has the lower published per-credit rate for your situation, which is often SNHU.

If your credit comes from the military

This is where UMGC pulls ahead. Decades of serving service members and veterans mean UMGC routinely evaluates the Joint Services Transcript and awards credit for formal military training and occupational specialties. For an IT-leaning service member — a cyber, signal, or communications background — that can convert a meaningful chunk of training into credit. SNHU accepts military credit too, but UMGC's depth here is its signature. Edge: UMGC, clearly, for military-heavy transcripts.

If your credit comes from IT certifications

IT and cybersecurity are unusual among majors because the certifications you already hold can become college credit. UMGC is well known for mapping credentials like CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+, and certain Cisco certs, to course credit. SNHU also evaluates certifications and prior learning for possible credit, but if you are walking in with a stack of active IT certs, UMGC is the school most likely to turn the largest share of them into credit. Edge: UMGC for cert-heavy applicants — though the exact conversion always depends on the program and the year, so confirm it.

The fees and the rate nobody quotes

Whichever school you choose, the headline per-credit price is not the all-in number. Watch for recurring technology or term fees, graduation fees, and any proctoring or lab/material costs common in IT and cyber coursework. And remember the rate itself shifts by category — UMGC publishes different rates for in-state, out-of-state, and military-affiliated students, and those military rates can be very favorable. The gap between the headline and the true all-in figure is exactly why we built a planning tool around it.

Use the True Cost of Degree Calculator before you decide

Because the winner flips depending on where your credit comes from and what each school charges, a generic ranking is useless. Our True Cost of Degree Calculator lets you build your actual scenario: degree level, the transfer credits you expect to bring, the program's per-credit rate (pre-filled and editable), estimated fees per term, and the pace you can realistically handle. It then estimates your total out-of-pocket cost and time-to-finish, plus an illustrative months-to-break-even figure if you add an expected salary.

Run both schools through it. First model UMGC with the larger transfer count you might earn from military or certification credit, at the rate that applies to you. Then model SNHU with whatever transfers there at its published per-credit snapshot. The number that comes out lower for your inputs — not a generic ranking — is your honest answer. (All calculator figures are illustrative and for planning only — not a promise of earnings, employment, admission, or outcomes; individual results vary.)

If SNHU comes out ahead on your all-in cost — which happens often for students whose credit is mostly traditional coursework, thanks to its competitive per-credit rate and structured 8-week pacing — you can request degree info from SNHU's online bachelor's program and ask admissions to run an official transfer-credit and certification evaluation. That evaluation is the single most important number for your real cost.

Which should you request info from first?

Match yourself to the profile that fits:

Start with UMGC if you:

• Are active-duty, a veteran, or a military spouse with JST training to credit.
• Hold a stack of active IT certifications (CompTIA, Cisco) you want converted to credit.
• Qualify for UMGC's military-affiliated tuition rate, which can change the cost math entirely.

Start with SNHU if you:

• Are transferring mostly traditional college credit and want the lowest per-credit cost on the remainder.
• Prefer structured, instructor-led 8-week terms with steady deadlines.
• Want a predictable bill you can map credit-by-credit.
• Value a competitive published per-credit rate that keeps the credits you still owe inexpensive.

Neither choice is "settling." Both are accredited, both serve adults, and both can be a sound investment if the math works for you. The smartest move is to request an official transfer-credit evaluation from both, then let the all-in number decide. To get SNHU's evaluation and current pricing, request information from SNHU's online bachelor's program and compare it against a UMGC quote before you commit a dollar.

A note on outcomes and accreditation

Undergraduted is an independent comparison site — not a school, not an accreditor, and not a provider of financial-aid or career advice. Nothing here promises admission, graduation, a specific amount of transfer credit, a job, or a salary; any salary or break-even figures are illustrative ranges for planning only. Before enrolling, confirm each program's current tuition, transfer policy, certification-credit awards, and accreditation directly with the school and in the U.S. Department of Education's database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SNHU or UMGC transfer more credits for an IT degree?

Based on each school's published policies, both accept up to roughly 90 of the 120 credits needed for a bachelor's, so the raw ceiling is similar. UMGC tends to win on the breadth of what counts: it is widely recognized for awarding credit for military training (via the Joint Services Transcript) and for industry IT certifications such as CompTIA and Cisco. SNHU also accepts generous transfer credit and evaluates certain certifications or prior learning, but UMGC's reputation is built specifically around non-traditional credit sources. If most of your prior credit is from another college, both can transfer a similar amount; if it comes from the military or IT certs, UMGC often counts more. Always request an official transfer-credit evaluation from each school before deciding.

Can I get college credit for CompTIA or Cisco certifications toward an IT degree?

Often, yes — many online schools award credit for recognized IT certifications, and UMGC in particular is known for mapping credentials like CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, and certain Cisco certs to course credit. SNHU also evaluates certifications and prior learning for possible credit. The exact number of credits any certification converts to varies by school, by program, and over time, so treat any specific conversion as something to confirm directly. Ask each admissions office to evaluate your specific certifications against your chosen IT or cybersecurity program before you enroll.

Is UMGC or SNHU cheaper for an online bachelor's in IT?

It depends on your published per-credit rate and how many credits actually transfer. SNHU's online bachelor's per-credit rate is a published snapshot that has been competitively low in recent years, which can make the remaining credits inexpensive once transfers are applied. UMGC's per-credit cost differs for in-state, out-of-state, and military-affiliated students, and military tuition rates can be very favorable. The honest rule: more transfer credit at either school means fewer credits you pay for, so the winner flips based on your transfers and your rate. Model both in a true-cost calculator with your real numbers — these are general planning observations, not price quotes.

Are SNHU and UMGC regionally accredited for an IT or cybersecurity degree?

Yes. SNHU is accredited by NECHE (New England Commission of Higher Education) and UMGC by MSCHE (Middle States Commission on Higher Education). Both are regional accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and of equal standing, so neither degree is a lesser credential on accreditation grounds. Regional accreditation is what governs federal financial-aid eligibility and how credits transfer. Employer perception of any degree varies by field and is never guaranteed. Verify current accreditation directly with each school and the U.S. Department of Education's database before enrolling.

I have military IT experience — which school should I look at first?

If a large share of your prior learning comes from military service — a technical MOS or rating, formal training courses, or IT certifications earned in uniform — UMGC is built around exactly that audience and is a strong first stop for a transfer-credit evaluation, because it routinely credits Joint Services Transcript training and certifications. That said, do not stop at one quote. Request an official evaluation from SNHU as well, compare the credits each will accept against each school's published per-credit cost, and let the all-in number decide. The school that transfers the most credit is not automatically the cheapest once you factor in each rate.