Over the last couple of decades, average college tuition and fees have increased considerably. The price students pay out of pocket has also gone up during that period and many are looking for ways to save money on their college education. One potential option that has begun to emerge is the concept of 3-year bachelor degree programs.
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The proposed 3-year degree programs would give students the opportunity to graduate a full year ahead of time. This means they would be able to enter the workforce and start earning earlier while also saving on college tuition. However, although 3-year degree programs sound promising, there are a few hurdles that need to be overcome before they become mainstream.
Here’s what you should know about 3-year bachelor degree programs.
How Do Three-Year Bachelor’s Degrees Work?
As of now there are very few colleges that offer students the option of earning a bachelor’s degree in three years. But as the cost of higher education continues to climb, this could change soon as more colleges start introducing this option.
The 3-year degree programs that are currently being offered vary slightly in the way they are set up from one school to another. Essentially, all programs condense the traditional requirement of 120 credit hours into 3 years instead of the traditional 4 years. This means there’s no difference between 3-year and 4-year degree programs in terms of the credit requirements. The major differences between the two are the time a student will take to earn their bachelor’s degree and how they earn their credit hours.
Students who enroll in a three-year program will have to take an overloaded course schedule every semester in order to complete their 120 credits during the shorter time frame. In some universities, 3-year students accumulate the required credit hours by taking 18 credit hours every semester and 6 credit hours during the summer. Over the course of 3 years, this adds up to 120 credit hours.
How much can you save with a 3-Year Degree Program?
The exact amount you save with a 3-year degree program will vary depending on the program and the college. Higher education leaders and other authorities that are looking into this option suggest that students would save an estimated 25% in tuition. That’s a lot when you consider the high cost of college tuition.
Despite the significant savings, the ongoing discussion revolves around weighing the pros and cons of accelerated degree programs to determine whether they are worth it.
Benefits & Drawbacks Of 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Benefits
The biggest benefit of 3-year bachelor degree programs is the lower overall costs. Paying 25% of traditional 4-year program fees results in significant savings by itself. In addition, you’ll also save on the cost of room and board and other associated fees by eliminating the 4th year of college.
The lower fees also mean you’ll graduate with considerably lower student loans, which can be paid off within a shorter period of time. The earlier you pay off your student loan debt, the earlier you’ll free up your funds for other purposes.
Another huge benefit of enrolling in a fast-track program is that it allows you to enter the workforce and start earning earlier than traditional 4-year graduates. If you need a master’s degree for your chosen career path, you’ll be able to apply to grad school a year earlier than your peers.
Drawbacks
The biggest drawback of 3-year programs is that they condense a 4-year curriculum into three years. That means you may have to sacrifice holidays and summer breaks in order to complete the coursework. This is in addition to taking extra courses every semester. Essentially, it can be more demanding than many students expect or are used to.
Another drawback of spending so much time in the classroom is that it leaves little to no time for students to engage in activities outside the classroom. Education experts stress the importance of students getting a rounded college experience for overall development. This includes opportunities to participate in other extracurricular activities, whether it’s athletics, music, or drama. Students in 3-year programs may miss out on study abroad, internships, undergraduate research, and other social opportunities.
As talk about 3-year degree programs becomes more widespread, educators are worried about the long-term impact of skipping valuable learning and networking opportunities to graduate earlier.
The “College In 3” Project
In 2021, Robert Zemsky, a professor of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania, and Lori Carrell, chancellor of the University of Minnesota at Rochester, launched the ‘College-in-3’ project.
This project proposed that instead of cramming a 4-year curriculum into 3 years, colleges should overhaul the undergraduate curriculum. The new curriculum would do away with the traditional semesters completely. Instead, courses would be bundled into blocks of seven weeks each, allowing students to focus on a few topics at a time and study those topics more deeply. This would be scheduled in a way that students would earn a bachelor’s degree in 3 years without compromising on extracurricular activities, summer breaks, or other on-campus activities.
While this project seems promising, there are several obstacles to overcome before it can become more mainstream. The main hurdle is meeting the rigorous academic standards from accrediting agencies, which is mandatory for securing their approval.
Zemsky and Carrell recruited 13 pilot institutions to test this idea. The pilot institutions include a mix of public and private colleges of all sizes located throughout the country.
These are the 13 institutions that are considering implementing the proposed College-in-3 plan:
The following 13 institutions are currently considering the idea:
- University of North Texas
- Portland State University
- University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh
- American Public University System
- Northwood University
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Slippery Rock University
- New England College
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- University of Minnesota at Rochester
- Merrimack College
- Utica College
The thirteenth school prefers to remain unnamed at this time.
Is It Worth Enrolling In A 3-Year Degree Program?
3-year programs are still in the experimental stage and the long-term benefits or drawbacks are yet to be ascertained. Meanwhile, educators advise students to explore other ways to fast-track their graduation.
One way to do this is by taking AP and IB courses in high school. Getting a head start in high school will allow you to earn the necessary college credits before you even start college.
Another way students can graduate ahead of time is by maxing their credits every semester. Taking 18 credits a semester in addition to summer classes can help you graduate earlier even if you’re enrolled in a traditional 4-year program.
When you’re ready to start exploring your options at the collegiate level, you know where to go: College Raptor! Use our College Match Tool to get the best college matches based on your GPA, major, location, test scores, and desired culture.
