Key Takeaways: For most bachelor’s degrees, you generally need 120 credits to graduate. To get those 120 credit hours, you generally need a mix of general education class, major required courses, and electives. Here’s what you need to know about credits and graduating college.
How Many Credits are Needed to Graduate College With a Bachelor’s Degree?
In most cases, students have to earn at least 120 credits to graduate college with a bachelor’s degree. Some degrees will require 124 credits or even slightly more. Always double check with your college and your advisor to make sure you’re on track to graduate with your desired degree. You don’t want to come up on graduation day and realize you’re four credits short!
However, it’s a little more complicated than that – you can’t simply take random classes, earn 120 credits, and leave with your degree.
How Many Credits Are Needed to Graduate With an Associate Degree?
Most students pursuing an associate’s degree will need at least 60 credits to graduate. There are some programs that could require up to 90. Associate degrees are generally offered through community colleges, and full-time students can expect to graduate in two years.
How Many Credits Are Needed to Graduate With a Master’s Degree?
Master’s degrees are offered by universities. The exact credit requirement depends on the school and program, but the average is 30 to 60 credits. It usually takes full-time graduate students around two years to complete their coursework.
What Else Do You Need to Graduate College?
Overall, to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to accumulate at least 120 credits in most situations. However, these often need to be very specific classes. Most colleges will require you to take general education courses, classes required for your major, and electives. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. Not every single school out there fits this mold!
Here’s a general overview of what most college students will have to complete to earn a bachelor’s degree. If your school follows different requirements, check with your advisor often to make sure you’re on track for graduation.
General Education Classes
General education requirements, also known as GEs in some schools, are classes that help you broaden your horizons and education. They span everything from math to foreign language – even if you’re planning on majoring in English.
There is usually some leeway here in the classes available to you. For example, if you’re required to take a course in History, you’re likely able to choose from a number of different history courses, including Ancient Rome, American History, and Ancient Philosophy. So, you can absolutely take general education classes that interest you, too!
General education classes usually take up to 60 of your required 120 credits.
Major Requirements
And, of course, you will have to meet your major’s requirements. Undergraduates usually have to select their major by the end of their sophomore year or the start of their junior year. Some more competitive programs may require you to declare your major before you’re even accepted to the college.
Major requirements vary depending on the subject. Some areas of studies have what’s known as “concentrations.” This is a specific focus within the major. For example, English majors might be able to choose between Literature and Writing for their concentration. You might have to declare this as well depending on the school.
In general, your major requirements will follow a set curriculum, including core classes, prerequisites, and advanced classes. As you get into the advanced courses, you tend to have more leeway in your options and can pursue topics that are of specific interest to you.
The number of credits and the exact classes you need will be dictated by your school. Many colleges and universities have their major program and its requirements right on their website. Keep in mind though that these may be out of date and your department head or advisor should always have up to date requirements for your intended major.
Electives
Even with your major and general education classes, it’s likely you won’t hit the required 120 credits. That’s where electives and even minors come in. You can take classes that interest you, even if they have little to nothing to do with your major. If you take enough courses in one area of study, you may even accumulate enough to earn a minor – something that could help your career search, too.
The number of elective credits you’ll need will depend on your area of study and that program’s requirements. If you finished your GEs and your required major curriculum, the rest of your classes can be electives.
If you are interested in pursuing a minor, be sure to talk to your college advisor. Minors have their own set curriculum you need to follow, and you’ll need to declare it so you get credit for the accomplishment on your transcripts. Typically, a minor needs between 18 and 22 credits, but you could have to take up to 30.
How Many Credit Hours are needed to Graduate in 4 Years?
If you’d like to earn your bachelor’s degree in four years, you’ll need to earn around 30 credit hours per year or 15 per semester.
It can be a bit confusing as only 12 credits are needed each semester to be considered a “full-time student.” However, for a degree that requires 120 credits, this means you’d graduate in five years, rather than four.
Here’s a table that breaks down what you should aim for to graduate within four years:
| Year in College | Credit Hour Requirements |
|---|---|
| Freshman | 0 - 30 |
| Sophomore | 31 - 60 |
| Junior | 61 - 90 |
| Senior | 91 - 120 |
If you’d like to graduate in less than four years, you’ll have to take summer courses or take on more credits each semester. Keep in mind, the more credits you take, the more coursework you’ll have to complete. Take on too much, and you might struggle. Most colleges and universities require you to get advanced permission from your advisor to take more than 18 credits per semester or they could restrict you to 18.
Another option for faster graduation is an accelerated bachelor’s program. They’re not offered by all colleges and they’re usually restricted to select majors, such as Business or Nursing, but they allow students to earn a degree in three years or less. Accelerated bachelor’s to master’s programs combine the two degrees, so you can often earn both in just five years.
Although the answer to the question, “How many credits are needed to graduate?” is usually 120, it’s much more nuanced than that. If you ever have any questions about major requirements, general education classes, or what you need to graduate, make sure to reach out to your advisor as soon as possible to avoid any graduation or degree problems.
Want to learn more about major’s for your bachelor’s degrees? Head over to our Major Search tool to start exploring subjects, career opportunities, schools, and more.
