This is a qualitative study that was conducted to gain a better understanding of the experiences of professors in Colleges of Education who were former K-12 teachers. The study presents the responses of eighty-nine professors from across the United States. Coding based on the university setting (national, large regional, small regional) in which the respondents worked revealed that professors have different experiences in their transition from K-12. The authors found that the size of the university was a factor in how welcome the new faculty felt welcomed and how colleagues treated them. This study also found that the way professors feel about their move into higher education is dependent on the size of the institution in which they work. Despite the type of higher institution, however, the most significant finding reflects the respondents' feelings of gaining greater autonomy in their lives. Implications for future research are to survey K-12 teachers on their feelings about professors who were former classroom teachers and the authors would also like to implement the current survey at the international level.