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3-year college degrees grow more popular in the US, saving time and cash. But critics aren't sold
Reduced-credit programs now let students finish in as few as 90 credits, but graduate schools and licensing boards may still require extra coursework.
- Colleges in 26 U.S. states now offer reduced-credit, three-year bachelor's degrees, according to the nonprofit research group RAND, reflecting exploding popularity among students seeking faster workforce entry.
- Robert Zemsky, founding director of the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, revived the three-year concept through the College-in-3 Exchange after accreditors agreed to allow schools to shift from 120 to 90 credits.
- Students like Giles Sims at Ensign College and Gabriella Staten, 20-year-old student at Mount Mary University, estimate saving at least $20,000 by completing programs faster, prioritizing workforce entry over traditional four-year pathways.
- AAUP president Todd Wolfson warned the degrees "devalue the meaning of a college credential" by "cutting corners," while students like Jill Cohen at Indiana Wesleyan navigate complex state licensing requirements that may complicate degree recognition.
- Three-Year degrees are standard in the United Kingdom, India, France, and Italy; John Thelin, author of A History of American Higher Education, noted the four-year format became dominant only in the 19th century.
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Total News Sources19
Leaning Left7Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
44% Center
L 39%
C 44%
R 17%
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