At least a hundred public and private colleges are planning or have already launched three-year bachelor’s degree programs. They are now poised to gain further traction as states revise regulations and regional accreditors develop clearer pathways.
Last week, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved reduced credit bachelor’s degree programs below the standard 120-credit threshold.
The Higher Learning Commission, the University of Wisconsin’s accreditor, is now accepting applications for reduced-credit programs from institutions in 19 states.
Some private colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission moved quickly. This spring, Mount Mary University and Concordia University, St. Paul began offering programs across an array of career-oriented fields, including cybersecurity, social work, digital marketing, exercise science and sports management.
Private and public colleges in Massachusetts can now pilot three-year degrees, following approval by the Massachusetts Board of Education.
Your next read: Education Department provides breakthrough for new accreditors
“In Massachusetts, we have industries that need talent and students eager to grow their education and careers,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “I’m grateful to the Board of Higher Education for inviting campuses to innovate in a way that will benefit students, faculty, employers and our economy.”
The New England Commission of Higher Education, a primary accreditor, found widespread excitement and interest from faculty, leadership and students in piloting programs.
Eight North Dakota colleges are testing three-year career and technical education programs, North Dakota Monitor reports.
What’s driving the 3-year degree momentum?
Since 2022, a collective of small, regional public and private institutions has tinkered with reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees, piloting programs among small cohorts. The “College-in-3 Exchange” aimed to deliver more efficient, affordable education for a high-demand workforce.
“A three-year degree, like other innovations, has unknowns and risks,” Madeleine F. Green, executive director of the College-in-3 Exchange, wrote for AAC&U. “But the status quo carries its own risks—students burdened by debt, employers struggling to fill positions, and an institution whose legitimacy is fraying because it has resisted asking hard questions about its own product.
In Utah, College-in-3 members Ensign College and BYU-Idaho are among the first accredited schools to offer a three-year bachelor’s degree online. Starting this fall, Ensign will be the first institution in the nation to require 90 to 96 credits for all of its Bachelor of Applied Science degrees.
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accredits both institutions. Former commission president Sonny Ramaswamy has been a vocal supporter of innovations to the bachelor’s degree.
Other accreditors are weighing in as well. The University of Lynchburg in Virginia is the first institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to pilot a reduced-credit program.
“This might attract a different type of student that might not otherwise be able to afford” a traditional four-year program, Stephen Smith, interim associate vice president of academic and strategic operations at Lynchburg, told Cardinal News.
