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, as these condensed programs have exploded in 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 degree concept through the College-in-3 Exchange, overcoming accreditation barriers that previously required 120 credits instead of 90.
- Giles Sims, a laid-off web developer at Ensign College, and Gabriella Staten, a 20-year-old at Mount Mary University, estimate saving at least $20,000 by completing three-year degrees instead of traditional four-year programs.
- 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 face complex state licensing requirements that may not align with three-year pathways.
- Historically, three-year degrees were common in countries like the United Kingdom, India, France, and Italy, and John Thelin, author of A History of American Higher Education, noted the four-year format only became dominant in the 19th century.
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3-year college degrees grow more popular in the US, saving time and cash. But critics aren’t sold - Regional Media News
Giles Sims, 34, was sick of getting passed over for jobs because he didn't have a college degree. But with a wife and a widowed mother to help support, he needed a quick solution. So the laid-off web developer turned to one of a growing number of three-year degree programs. "I can't afford to be out of the workforce for four years. That just seems like forever, and the three-year made it seem less daunting," said Sims, a student at Ensign Colleg…
3-year college degrees grow more popular in the US, saving time and ca
Giles Sims, 34, was sick of getting passed over for jobs because he didn’t have a college degree. But with a wife and a widowed mother to help support, he needed a quick solution. So the laid-off web developer turned to one of a growing number of three-year degree programs. “I can’t afford to be out of the workforce for four years. That just seems like forever, and the three-year made it seem less daunting,” said Sims, a student at Ensign Colleg…
Three-year college degrees become more popular, saving time and cash. But critics aren't sold
Giles Sims, who is getting a 90-hour bachelor of applied science in communication from Ensign College poses for a portrait on campus in Salt Lake City, Utah Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Salt Lake City.
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