2027 Online Radiology Technician Degree Programs That Accept 60, 75, or 90 Transfer Credits
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Key Things You Should Know
- A 120-credit bachelor's completion program may leave about 60, 45, or 30 credits after transferring 60, 75, or 90 credits, but only credits that match general education, major, elective, residency, and upper-division requirements reduce the actual path to graduation.
- Online Radiology Technician degree options are usually radiologic science, imaging sciences, or health sciences completion programs for students who already have clinical training or registry eligibility; first-time radiography programs normally require in-person clinical education.
- Before enrolling, verify the official transfer evaluation, minimum grade rules, institutional residency requirement, upper-division credit requirement, accreditation, and whether ARRT certification, military training, exams, or prior learning can be applied as block or elective credit.
How Many Transfer Credits Can You Apply Toward an Online Radiology Technician Degree?
Most online Radiology Technician degree-completion programs are built for students who already completed a radiography, radiologic technology, or imaging-related associate degree. In that context, "accepts 60, 75, or 90 transfer credits" usually refers to the maximum number of credits a bachelor's program will consider from previous college work, exams, certifications, military training, or approved prior learning.
The important distinction is accepted credits vs. applied credits. A school may accept 90 credits on your transcript, but if 12 of those credits duplicate courses, fall outside the degree plan, are too old for a science requirement, or exceed a category limit, they may not shorten your program.
This comparison shows how transfer-credit levels usually affect a 120-credit bachelor's completion pathway. It is a planning framework, not a promise; your official audit is what determines the final number.
| Transfer-credit scenario | Typical remaining credits in a 120-credit bachelor's degree | Best fit | Main risk to check |
| 60 transfer credits | About 60 credits remaining | Students with an associate degree or substantial community college coursework | Some technical or clinical credits may count as electives instead of major requirements |
| 75 transfer credits | About 45 credits remaining | Students with an associate degree plus extra general education, imaging, or healthcare credits | The added credits may not meet upper-division or residency rules |
| 90 transfer credits | About 30 credits remaining | Registered technologists or students with broad prior coursework entering a generous bachelor's completion program | A 30-credit residency minimum may still require a full final year of institutional coursework |
Radiology is also a regulated healthcare field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a May 2024 median annual wage of $77,660 for radiologic technologists and technicians, but eligibility for many roles depends on state rules, employer requirements, clinical education, and credentials such as ARRT certification. That is why transfer credit should be evaluated alongside accreditation and credentialing fit, not only speed.
Which Online Radiology Technician Degree Programs Accept 60, 75, or 90 Transfer Credits?
The most transfer-friendly online options are usually degree-completion programs rather than entry-level radiography programs. Many are named Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Imaging Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology, or Bachelor of Applied Science with an imaging concentration.
If your previous credits are not mostly radiography-related, a broader healthcare pathway may sometimes apply more of them. For example, students with administrative, business, or healthcare operations credits may want to compare an imaging degree with a healthcare administration degree online accredited by an appropriate institutional accreditor.
The table below explains which online program categories are most likely to work for students bringing 60, 75, or 90 credits. Use it to narrow your search before requesting official evaluations.
| Program category | Transfer-credit level it often fits | Who it is designed for | What to verify before applying |
| Online AS-to-BS radiologic sciences completion program | 60 credits | Students who completed or are completing an associate degree in radiography or radiologic technology | Whether the associate degree satisfies lower-division major and clinical foundations |
| Online BS in imaging sciences or radiologic sciences for registered technologists | 75 credits | ARRT-registered or registry-eligible technologists with extra coursework beyond the associate degree | Whether registry credit, modality courses, and electives apply to the degree plan |
| Online bachelor's completion or applied science program with imaging concentration | 90 credits | Students with substantial prior college credit who need a bachelor's credential for advancement, management, education, or modality specialization | Whether the final 30 credits must be taken at the institution and whether enough upper-division imaging courses remain |
Students seeking initial radiography licensure should be cautious with programs advertised as "online." Many accredited radiography programs offer online general education or didactic courses, but clinical competencies must be completed in approved healthcare settings. If you are not already clinically trained, ask whether the program leads to ARRT eligibility and whether clinical placement is available in your state.
How Can You Tell Whether Transfer Credits Will Actually Apply Toward Your Radiology Technician Degree?
You can tell only by reviewing a degree audit or official transfer evaluation that maps each prior course to a specific requirement. A verbal estimate from admissions is useful for screening schools, but it should not be the basis for enrolling or paying a deposit.
Use this checklist to separate generous-sounding transfer policies from policies that actually shorten the degree.
- Ask for the total number of credits accepted and the number applied to the specific radiologic science, imaging science, or health science degree plan.
- Request a requirement-by-requirement audit showing general education, major, electives, upper-division credits, and remaining residency credits.
- Confirm whether technical radiography courses transfer as major credits, block credit, professional credit, or free electives.
- Check whether repeated, developmental, pass/fail, remedial, or very old courses are excluded or limited.
- Ask whether the transfer decision changes if you switch concentrations, campuses, catalog years, or degree types.
Common red flags include a school quoting only the maximum transfer limit, refusing to provide a written evaluation before enrollment, or saying that credits "should transfer" without showing where they fit. A stronger program will explain both what transfers and what remains.
Transferable credits usually come from regionally accredited colleges, accredited radiography programs, standardized exams, military training, professional certifications, or institutional prior-learning assessment. The best-fit credits are those that match the receiving school's catalog requirements.
Science credits can be especially important because radiology programs often rely on anatomy, physiology, physics, patient care, and imaging science foundations. Students comparing science-heavy options may also review online biology degrees to understand how life-science coursework is commonly structured in online formats.
The table below summarizes common credit sources and how they may be used in an online Radiology Technician degree-completion program.
| Credit source | How it may apply | Typical limitation |
| Community college associate degree | Lower-division general education, radiography foundation, electives, or block transfer | Not all technical credits may satisfy bachelor's-level major requirements |
| Prior university coursework | General education, electives, upper-division courses, or supporting healthcare requirements | Course level, grade, and equivalency must match the new degree plan |
| Radiography or imaging program credits | Professional core, clinical foundation, modality-related credit, or block credit | May require proof of accreditation, registry status, or course descriptions |
| ARRT or related certification | Professional credit, advanced standing, or eligibility for a completion track | Often requires current credential documentation and may not replace residency credits |
| Exam credit such as CLEP or DSST | General education or elective credit | Institutional score minimums and category caps vary |
Minimum grade rules matter. Many schools require at least a C for transfer, and some healthcare, science, or major courses may require a higher grade or more recent completion. Always ask whether a course transfers as an equivalent course, an elective, or unused excess credit.
Residency requirements are the credits you must complete through the degree-granting institution, even if you have enough transfer credits on paper. Upper-division requirements are junior- and senior-level credits required for a bachelor's degree, often numbered 300 or 400.
These rules are why a 90-credit transfer policy does not automatically mean you have only a few courses left. A school may accept 90 credits but still require 30 credits in residence, including a set number of upper-division imaging, leadership, research, ethics, management, or capstone courses.
Before choosing the program with the highest transfer limit, compare these requirements carefully.
- Institutional residency: Many bachelor's completion programs require the final 30 credits, or a similar minimum, to be completed at the school awarding the degree.
- Major residency: Some programs require a certain number of radiologic sciences or imaging sciences major credits to be completed through that institution.
- Upper-division minimum: A student with many lower-division community college credits may still need junior- and senior-level coursework.
- Capstone requirement: Degree-completion programs often require a final project, research course, leadership course, or professional portfolio that cannot be transferred in.
The practical takeaway is simple: a student with 75 highly aligned credits may finish faster than a student with 90 loosely related credits. Alignment often matters more than volume.
The transfer evaluation process determines how your previous learning fits the new degree. For radiology-related programs, evaluators may need more than transcripts because clinical, technical, and certification-based credits can be harder to match than standard general education courses.
Follow this sequence before committing to a program. It helps you compare schools using the same evidence instead of relying on estimates.
- Collect official transcripts from every college attended, including community colleges, universities, and radiography programs.
- Gather course syllabi, catalog descriptions, clinical hour documentation, and proof of accreditation for older or specialized radiography courses.
- Submit current credential documents if the program awards credit or advanced standing for ARRT or related certifications.
- Request a written transfer evaluation that shows accepted credits, applied credits, unused credits, and remaining requirements.
- Ask the program advisor to estimate full-time and part-time completion timelines based on the remaining course sequence.
- Compare at least two evaluations, because different schools may classify the same credit differently.
Do not assume that a preliminary evaluation is final. Some schools complete a deeper audit only after admission, while others update evaluations after receiving syllabi or certification documents. Keep copies of every written decision.
Completion time depends on remaining credits, course availability, clinical or practicum requirements, and whether the program runs in 8-week, 10-week, semester, or self-paced terms. The fastest path is usually the one with the fewest remaining required courses, not necessarily the one that accepts the most credits.
Some students discover that a different healthcare credential is a faster short-term route into patient care. If your goal is rapid entry into healthcare rather than radiologic technology specifically, compare the radiology path with the fastest way to become a medical assistant before committing to a bachelor's completion plan.
This table estimates typical time ranges for a 120-credit online bachelor's completion program. Actual timelines vary by course load and whether required courses are offered every term.
| Credits applied | Approximate credits remaining | Possible full-time pace | Possible part-time pace | Key timing issue |
| 60 | 60 | About 2 academic years | About 3 to 4 years | Course sequencing and upper-division requirements may extend the plan |
| 75 | 45 | About 1.5 academic years | About 2.5 to 3 years | Remaining major courses may not be available every term |
| 90 | 30 | About 1 academic year | About 1.5 to 2 years | Residency, capstone, and minimum institutional credit rules often define the finish line |
The BLS projects employment for radiologic technologists and technicians to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, which is a moderate outlook rather than a guarantee of local job availability. Students balancing work and school should ask whether part-time enrollment preserves financial aid eligibility and whether delayed completion affects credential or employer requirements.
Transfer credits can reduce cost by lowering the number of credits you must pay for at the new school. The savings formula is straightforward: applicable transfer credits that replace required courses × tuition and mandatory fees per credit. The challenge is that unused elective credits may not reduce your bill.
College Board's 2024 pricing data reported average published tuition and fees of $11,610 for in-state students at public four-year colleges and $43,350 at private nonprofit four-year colleges for a full academic year. That gap matters because transferring the same number of credits into different institutions can produce very different savings.
The table below shows how to think about savings without assuming that every accepted credit applies equally.
| Transfer scenario | Potential cost effect | What can reduce the expected savings | Best question to ask |
| 60 credits applied | May remove roughly half of a 120-credit bachelor's degree from new tuition charges | Major courses, upper-division courses, and residency credits may still be required | Which 60 credits apply directly to required categories? |
| 75 credits applied | May reduce the remaining bill more than a standard associate-degree transfer | Extra credits may become free electives if they do not match the curriculum | How many of the 75 credits reduce required courses rather than only total credits? |
| 90 credits applied | May leave only the institution's final-year requirement in many bachelor's completion plans | Program fees, technology fees, capstone fees, and residency rules may still apply | What is the total remaining program cost after the official audit? |
When comparing programs, ask for a written cost estimate based on your remaining credits, not the advertised tuition rate alone. Also check whether financial aid requires minimum enrollment, whether employer tuition assistance applies to online courses, and whether certification or transcript fees are separate.
Yes, some programs award credit for prior learning, military education, standardized exams, professional certifications, or documented healthcare training. The amount varies widely, and credits may apply as electives, professional block credit, or specific course equivalents.
This is especially relevant for students who have worked in healthcare but have a mixed transcript. For example, someone comparing imaging, nursing, and allied-health routes may also consider whether an LPN 6 month program aligns better with their immediate licensure and clinical goals.
Ask each school how it treats the following nontraditional credit sources before you assume they will shorten your degree.
- ARRT certification or registry status: Some completion programs use this to confirm professional preparation or award block credit, but policies differ by institution.
- Military training: Credits may be reviewed through Joint Services Transcript recommendations, but the school decides whether they apply to the degree.
- CLEP, DSST, or AP exams: These may satisfy general education requirements if scores meet institutional thresholds.
- Prior-learning assessment: Some schools allow portfolios or competency reviews for documented professional learning, usually with limits and fees.
- Additional imaging credentials: CT, MRI, mammography, sonography, or radiation therapy coursework may apply if the program includes related electives or concentrations.
The safest approach is to ask whether each credit source affects graduation requirements, tuition, and time to completion. A credit that appears on the transcript but does not replace a required course may have limited practical value.
Do Older College Credits Expire When Transferring Into an Online Radiology Technician Degree?
Older credits do not always expire, but they may be reviewed differently depending on subject area. General education courses such as English composition, humanities, or history often remain usable longer than science, technology, patient care, or imaging courses that may need current content.
Students who have been out of school for several years should be especially careful if they are moving between healthcare tracks. A nurse planning a long-term graduate pathway, for instance, may compare bridge expectations in imaging programs with requirements found in online MSN PMHNP programs, where recency, licensure, and clinical background can matter in different ways.
Older credits are most likely to face scrutiny in these areas.
- Anatomy and physiology: Some programs require recent completion because the content supports patient care and clinical decision-making.
- Radiographic positioning and imaging procedures: Older technical courses may be compared against current professional standards and equipment.
- Radiation protection and safety: Programs may want current coverage of safety practices, regulations, and technology.
- Computer or informatics courses: Older technology courses may transfer only as electives if software or systems content is outdated.
- Clinical education: Prior clinical credits may require proof of completed competencies, program accreditation, and credential status.
If your credits are more than several years old, request a pre-review and be ready to provide syllabi. Even when older credits transfer, the program may require refresher coursework, a competency assessment, or current certification documentation.
Other Things You Should Know About Radiology Technician
Yes, but the result may be less efficient. Without a completed associate degree or radiography credential, your credits may apply mainly to general education or electives, and you may still need the full clinical radiography sequence.
Not by itself in many cases. Licensure and certification requirements vary by state, but initial radiologic technology preparation usually requires approved clinical education and often ARRT eligibility or certification.
Not automatically. Choose the school that applies the most credits to required courses, has appropriate accreditation, fits your state and career goals, and gives you a clear remaining-cost and completion plan.
Sometimes. A certificate from an accredited radiography program may support block credit or advanced standing, especially if paired with ARRT certification, but the school must evaluate the training and decide how it applies.
- Radiologic Technology https://www.schs.edu/programs/associate-degree-programs/radiologictechnology
- Radiologic Technology BS: Degree Completion Program https://www.fdu.edu/program/bs-radiologic-technology-2/
- Affordable Online Bachelor's in Radiology Programs 2021 https://www.healthcare-administration-degree.net/best/affordable-online-bachelors-radiology-degree-programs/
- Radiologic Technology https://www.century.edu/programs/radiologic-technology/
- Radiologic Technology Associates https://an.edu/programs/associates/radiologic-technology-associates/
