Admissions Information

Admissions Process

In order to enroll in classes at the College, you must first apply and receive your acceptance information. Apply here.

Admission to Community College of Philadelphia is open to the following individuals:

  • All high school graduates, General Equivalency/Commonwealth diploma recipients, transfer applicants from another college or university, and guest/visiting students.
  • Any non-high school graduate and non-General Equivalency recipient over the age of 18.
  • Any person who is a non-high school graduate and approved for enrollment in an early admission program.

Applicants who are 18 years of age and older, and have not earned a high school diploma or state equivalency diploma (GED®), may be eligible for admission and may qualify for a Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma by means of the General Education Development (GED®) test. An applicant may also earn the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Diploma upon enrollment and completion of 30 college-level credits. Students in the latter category must request that a transcript of their academic record be sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Applicants without a high school diploma (GED®) are not eligible for financial aid.

High School Transcripts and Placement Testing
High school transcripts (GPAs and courses) and/or placement tests are used to determine if students will be placed into college-level courses or if they first need to enroll in developmental classes or pre-college workshops. Placement can be determined in various ways. To learn more, review the admission process.

The College reserves the right to require applicants to take developmental classes or to limit the number of courses in which they may enroll based on placement test results.

Select Program Admission
There are certain programs of study that have additional entrance requirements. Applicants planning to enter one of these select programs of study must follow the prescribed steps for admission in each program. Applicants must first complete all course prerequisites, take applicable tests and/or submit requested materials as part of the admission process for select programs. As a result of the steps that must be completed before entry into a select program, an applicant will be placed into a non-select program of study at the time of acceptance to the College. The admission process for select programs is competitive, space may be limited and only qualified students will be admitted.

Applicant Categories

Applicants who want to earn an associate's degree, academic certificate or proficiency certificate at the College are considered degree-seeking students. Certificates prepare students for a variety of opportunities, including workplace preparation. Academic certificates require two semesters of college-level English and one semester of college-level math. All coursework transfers seamlessly into the College's associate's degree programs.

Proficiency certificates are short-term, focused course offerings that are primarily developed to prepare students for employment. Students may also continue their education, since all credits earned through the proficiency certificates transfer seamlessly into an academic certificate or associate's degree program in a related field.

Applicants must choose a degree program, academic certificate or proficiency certificate with a requirement of 16 or more credits to be eligible for financial aid.

First-Time Student

Applicants who have never attended a college or university (including Community College of Philadelphia), and who possess or are about to obtain a high school diploma or state equivalency diploma (GED®), should apply to the College as new students. Detailed instructions on getting started at the College are available by visiting our Admission Process page.

Transfer Student

Applicants who have attended another college or university with earned college credits should apply for admission as transfer students.

Applicants are responsible for having their prior earned college credits evaluated prior to course registration to avoid duplication. Transfer credits are granted for courses in which the applicant earned a grade of "C-" or better unless otherwise specified by the program requirements. View the Admission Process page for more details.

Readmit Student

Applicants who have previously attended Community College of Philadelphia and have not taken credit-level courses in two or more years are eligible for admission as readmit students and must complete an admission application online to update their student records.

Applicants who only took noncredit courses at the College are not considered readmit students and should apply as new students following the New Student Process.

International Student

International students who are eligible to study in the United States are also eligible for admission to the College. Community College of Philadelphia is authorized to issue Form I-20 and other immigration documentation to qualified students who wish to study in the United States and earn a degree. All applicants must complete all admission requirements by July 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester. International students holding an F-1, J-1 or any non-immigrant visa cannot be classified as legal residents of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania. Visit our International Student page for more information.

Guest/Visiting Student

Guest/visiting students are those applicants who do not plan to earn a degree from Community College of Philadelphia, and:

  • are attending another college and taking courses that will be transferred to their home institutions, or
  • are only taking courses for personal or professional enrichment.

Guest/visiting students must prove that they have taken the required prerequisites to enroll for courses. A college transcript showing evidence of completed coursework is required to show proof of required prerequisites. A copy of a college diploma from a regionally accredited institution can also be used for courses requiring certain English and/or math requirements.

Upon completion of the admission application, applicants will receive an email with instructions to activate their MyCCP account and can take advantage of web registration for desired courses. Visit our Admission Process page for more details.

Guest/visiting students are not eligible to receive financial aid from Community College of Philadelphia. Students who are attending another college and taking courses that will be transferred to their home institutions may contact their home school's Office of Financial Aid to inquire about consortium agreements.

Students who are only taking courses for personal or professional enrichment and have more than 30 credits are encouraged to meet with a counselor and enroll in a degree program.

Students interested in transferring credits from Community College of Philadelphia back to their home school should get prior approval to ensure the courses they take will be accepted when transferred back to their home school.

Currently Enrolled High School Student or Home School Student (Dual Enrollment — Advance at College)

11th and 12th grade high school students, including home school students, may enroll in courses at Community College of Philadelphia and earn college credits prior to high school graduation. Eligible students must possess the academic skills, as evidenced by the College's placement assessment, needed to meet the challenges of college-level coursework. For further information, visit our Advance at College page.

In extraordinary cases the College may grant admission to applicants who have completed at least the eighth grade, and demonstrate academic skill and maturity necessary for college work. Prior to acceptance, applicants must demonstrate an ability to benefit from instruction in a collegiate setting as evidenced by the College's placement test, submit a portfolio for appropriate subject areas and interview with the director of Admissions. Applicants must place at college-level on the placement test and are not allowed to take developmental courses. The goal of the interview with the director of Admissions is to discuss expectations of college faculty, coursework and awareness of mature content in subject areas. Applicants must be accompanied by a legal guardian or parent when attending the admissions interview.

Senior Citizen

Applicants who are at least 65 years old and residents of Philadelphia can register for one discounted credit course per semester on a space-available basis. Eligible seniors are required to pay a $159 course registration fee. An online admission application must be completed. Course registration will begin two weeks prior to the start of the semester. Noncredit courses are not included in this offer. A Senior Citizen Registration fee is charged for seniors who participate in this program. View tuition and fee information.

Enrollment Status—Part-Time or Full-Time

For financial aid determination, enrollment verification and other reasons, students are classified based upon the number of credits for which they are enrolled in a semester.

  • 12 credits or more — full-time status
  • 9 -11 credits — three-quarter status
  • 6 - 8 credits — half-time status
  • 1 - 5 credits — less than half-time status

A student who wants to enroll in 18 credits or more in a regular semester or more than 8 credits in a summer term must request the approval of the vice president for Academic and Student Success or designee.

Residency Requirement

The College establishes its residency policy in accordance with the Pennsylvania Code, Title 22, Education Chapter 35.

Tuition rates at Community College of Philadelphia are determined by a student's domicile. Domicile is the place where one intends to and does, in fact, permanently reside.

Commonwealth of PA Residency

To establish Commonwealth residency, one must demonstrate continuous residence in the Commonwealth for a period of twelve (12) months prior to the first day of one's first semester at Community College of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Residency

First preference for admission to the College, and particularly to select programs of high demand, is given to Philadelphia residents. To qualify as a legal resident of Philadelphia, an applicant must meet all of the following requirements:

  1. Must be a citizen or a permanent resident alien of the United States or be admitted on an immigrant visa to the United States.
  2. Must have resided in Pennsylvania for at least 12 months prior to the first day of one's first semester at Community College of Philadelphia.
  3. Must have resided in Philadelphia for at least three months prior to the first day of one's first semester at Community College of Philadelphia.

The following documentation may be used to provide evidence toward meeting the residency policy requirements:

Important Note: Name and Philadelphia address must be present on all documents and all documents must be dated at least three months prior to the first day of one's first semester at the College.

  1. Current apartment lease or mortgage from the permanent independent residence.
  2. Copy of a city/state tax bill. Special attention shall be given to payment of Commonwealth taxes on income earned during periods of temporary absence from this Commonwealth.
  3. Copies of bank statements, automobile registration, or other registered Philadelphia property dated at least three months prior to the first day of one's first semester at the College.
  4. Current Pennsylvania driver's license or state ID.
  5. High school transcript showing a Philadelphia home address.
  6. Pay stubs with Philadelphia home address showing payment of Philadelphia wage taxes.

Cases shall be decided on the basis of documentation submitted, with qualitative rather than quantitative emphasis. The determination of residency in each case is one of the subjective intentions of the student to reside indefinitely in this Commonwealth and in Philadelphia.

International Students

International students holding an F-1 or J-1 visa cannot be classified as legal residents of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania.

Tuition Rates for United States Veterans, United States Military and Civilian Personnel, and Their Dependents

United States Veterans

All eligible veterans of the United States Armed Forces and their spouses and dependents will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition.

Active Military and Civilian Personnel assigned to active duty station or Department of Defense Facility in Pennsylvania

All active United States military personnel, including their spouses and dependents, who are assigned to an active duty station in Pennsylvania and reside in Pennsylvania will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition. This provision remains in effect for each member, spouse or dependent while continuously enrolled at the College, even if there is a subsequent change in the permanent duty station of the member to a location outside of Pennsylvania.

All active United States civilian personnel, including their spouses and dependents, who reside in Pennsylvania or who are employed or transferred to a United States Department of Defense facility in Pennsylvania and reside in Pennsylvania will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition. This provision remains in effect for each member, spouse or dependent while continuously enrolled at the College, even if there is a subsequent change in the assigned employment of the member to a location outside of Pennsylvania.

All Active Military Personnel-Distance Learning

All active military personnel, including the spouses and dependents will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition for distance (on-line) courses.

Eligibility and Verification

For veterans to be eligible, they must have served in the United States Armed Forces, including reserve component or National Guard, and must have been discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.

Veterans and active military and civilian personnel must verify their affiliation with the United States Armed Services. Spouses and dependents must verify the veteran, military or civilian member's status with the United States Armed Services and provide proof of dependent status.

Change of Residency

Change of residency for tuition and mailing purposes is the sole responsibility of the student. Any changes made to residency after the last day of the term's refund period (15-week during fall/spring, 7-week during summer) will be reflected in the following semester. For refund dates see the Enrollment Guide or the College Catalog.

Students attending the College for the first time may challenge their permanent residency classification by completing and submitting a Residency Statement and Documentation form to the Office of Records and Registration prior to beginning classes.

Continuing students may challenge their permanent residency classification by completing and submitting a Residency Statement and Documentation form at any enrollment counter before the last day of the term's refund period (15-week during fall/spring, 7-week during summer).

College Placement Requirement

Placement levels — in writing, reading and math — are used to determine if students will be placed into college-level courses or if they first need to enroll in developmental classes.

Placement is satisfied by one of the following ways:

  • A minimum SAT score of 560 in English and 510 in mathematics, or a minimum ACT score of 21 in English and 17 in mathematics, taken within the last five years
  • A score of 4 or 5 on the AP English/ Lit/Comp Exam, or a score of 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB or Calculus BC exam, taken within the last five years
  • A minimum IBT (internet-based TOEFL) score of 77 overall and a 20 in writing, taken within the past two years
  • A minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall and a 6.0 in writing, taken within the past two years
  • An official college transcript indicating you earned a U.S. college degree or have passed college-level English or math with a grade of "C" or higher at an accredited U.S. college or university
  • An official high school transcript with an unweighted GPA of 3.2 or greater will satisfy placement into English 101.
  • An official high school transcript with a minimum grade of "C" in Algebra II or a higher math course and an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or greater will satisfy placement into Foundational Math 118 or another College Level Math course.
  • Taking a free ACCUPLACER placement test at the College's Main Campus, one of our Regional Centers, or virtually through an online proctoring service.

Students must satisfy the placement test requirement if they do not meet one of the criteria above.

Learn more about the placement test.

All documents (transcripts and test scores) submitted for placement should be directed to:

Community College of Philadelphia
1700 Spring Garden Street
Transfer Credit and Placement Office, MG-17
Philadelphia, PA 19130

or emailed to: traneval@ccp.edu

STUDENTS MUST SATISFY THE PLACEMENT REQUIREMENT IF:

  • They want (or are required) to enroll in an English or mathematics course.
  • They want to enroll in a course requiring English or math placement or a course requiring English or math as a prerequisite.
  • They want to enroll in more than one course (or 4 credits) at the Main Campus or a Regional Center.

The College's placement test scores are valid for two years. Students must be retested after a two-year period unless they have successfully satisfied the placement requirement as noted above. Admissions tests for select programs and placement tests for specific courses are also administered.

Scheduling a Placement Test

If you need to request accommodations due to a documented disability, contact the Center on Disability before you schedule your placement tests. You can schedule and/or change your placement test through MyCCP after submitting your application for admission.

To take a placement test, visit our English and Math Placement webpage for times and locations at the Main Campus and Regional Centers.

If you cannot keep your test appointment, you may reschedule it through MyCCP or by calling the Admissions Information Center at 215-751-8010. You can find a complete description of the placement test here.

Advanced Placement

Students entering the College may take waiver examinations in some courses. Success in such tests will permit students to enroll in more advanced courses. Students should contact the appropriate department head for further information.

Prior Learning Assessment

Community College of Philadelphia helps students succeed by awarding college credit for their learning achieved outside the traditional college classroom. Credit is awarded for learning that matches a particular course in your program of study. Course credit based on prior learning is given at the discretion of the department offering the course. Not all departments offer these options.

Ways to Earn College Credit for Prior Learning

Credit By Exam

Students may receive credit for some courses by taking a standardized exam, such as CLEP, or a departmental challenge exam. Learn more about the credit by exam options.

Evaluation of Noncredit or Alternative Learning

Professional training programs such as the police academy, military training, noncredit courses, and other career and technical programs may be eligible for college credit. Refer to PLA for Veterans or Evaluation of Noncredit Learning for more information. Students may also develop a portfolio for individual assessment of college-level learning for some courses. Visit our Credit for What You Know webpage to learn more.

Individualized Studies Program

The Individualized Studies program recognizes valuable training and/or work experience by giving students the opportunity to receive college credits for their experiences and to apply that experience and knowledge to an associate's degree. College credit may be earned from industry certifications, work experience, non-credit to credit program articulations, and evidence of other demonstrated competencies. Refer to the Individualized Studies page for more information.

Business Leadership Program

The Business Leadership program requires students to study a complementary discipline course sequence in a separate (pre-approved) academic area. To complete the complementary discipline course requirements: Students may enroll in a proficiency certificate offered at the college, apply a set of pre-approved courses, or apply prior learning assessment credits to complete the minimum 15 credits in a complementary discipline. Refer to the Business Leadership page for more information.

Act 48 - Continuing Professional Education for Certified Educators

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on November 23, 1999, passed into law Act 48. This law addresses requirements for professional education planning and requires all certified educators (teachers, principals and superintendents), every five years, to earn six college credits, six continuing professional education credits, or 180 clock hours of continuing professional education, or any combination of collegiate studies, continuing professional education courses, or learning experiences equivalent to 180 hours.

Act 48 regulations recognize collegiate credits from accredited institutions of higher education as appropriate for professional education purposes. Community College of Philadelphia is considered an approved higher educational institution by the Department of Education for providing continuing professional education credits or hours.

Individuals requiring Act 48 certification should complete an electronic form by logging into the MyCCP portal. Under the "Student" tab, locate "Electronic Forms" and click "Records and Registration Forms." Select the "Act 48 Certification Form," complete and submit. If you no longer have access to the MyCCP portal and would like to submit an electronic form, email records@ccp.edu for assistance.

Veterans Education Benefits

Veterans must be certified to receive VA benefits. To be certified, the Application for VA Benefits (VA Form 1990) must be completed and students must be registered for classes. Alternatively, students may file the veterans application (VONAPP) online. Veterans should apply early each semester to allow the College and the Veterans Administration time to process benefits. To apply, submit your Community College of Philadelphia Veterans Benefits Registration form along with a Notice of Basic Eligibility, Certificate of Eligibility or form DD-214 to the School Certifying Official located on the Main Campus at Enrollment Central on the ground level of the Bonnell Building.

Veterans must also report any changes in registration by completing a Community College of Philadelphia Veterans Benefits Registration form and submitting it to the School Certifying Official in Enrollment Central on the ground level of the Bonnell Building. Changes include selecting additional courses, dropping a course, changing to a different course or withdrawing from school.

All students except those receiving benefits under Chapters 31, 33 and 35 must report attendance on a monthly basis to the VA. Attendance should be reported the last day of each month by calling 1-888-442-4551 or by going online and selecting "Verify Attendance."

Chapter 31 - Veteran Readiness and Employment

All Chapter 31 Veterans need to be certified for their program of study by the local Veterans Administration Office. The local VA office address is:

Veterans Administration
5000 Wissahickon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19101
1-800-827-1000

For more information about veterans education benefits, see the Veterans Education Benefits section and the VA website. You can also contact the Veterans Resource Center, located on the ground level of the Bonnell Building, Room BG-43, for more information and services to help you achieve your goals at the College. For more information, email Veterans Resource Center.

To receive assistance completing the veteran's certification and veteran's scholarship forms, students may visit Enrollment Central, located on the ground level of the Bonnell Building or send an inquiry via email.