The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools approved a pathway for three-year bachelor’s degrees in 11 states, citing a need to address affordability concerns and connect students to jobs faster.
Thursday’s decision opens the way for 750 public and private colleges, including large state systems such as Texas A&M University and the University of Florida, to create reduced-credit programs to address high-demand workforce needs.
Accreditation is a federally recognized practice of certifying institutional standards through periodic review. The Southern Association accredits most higher education institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
“At the end of the day, this is about students,” said Stephen L. Pruitt, the association’s president. “We want institutions to have the flexibility to design programs that help students reach their goals efficiently while ensuring that the degrees they earn continue to reflect the quality and credibility that accreditation represents.”
Under the approved framework, students may complete a bachelor’s degree with 90 credits, down from the traditional requirement of 120 credits in four years.
In December, the association approved the University of Lynchburg’s plan to offer three-year degrees in applied public health and applied educational studies. The Virginia Christian campus will begin the program this fall.
The new framework requires that other colleges following Lynchburg’s lead design three-year programs “only in specialized or applied disciplines that prepare graduates for direct entry into the workforce.”
They must likewise distinguish themselves from traditional bachelor’s degrees with words like “accelerated” or “abridged” added to the majors.
“By reducing credit hours while maintaining academic quality, these programs may allow students to complete their degrees more quickly, lower the overall cost of earning a degree, and enter the workforce sooner,” the association said in a news release.
Thursday’s announcement comes amid a mounting affordability crisis in higher education. High student debts and unclear employment paths are pushing more high school graduates into trade schools and apprenticeship programs.
Admissions offices have also braced for a 15% drop in college applicants this spring, fueled by a yearslong decline in U.S. births since 2008.
In 2024, administrators at 20 campuses responded by launching the College-in-3 Exchange, a national initiative. It now counts 27 schools offering three-year bachelor’s degree options.
“Truly important news,” said Robert Zemsky, a University of Pennsylvania education professor who helped launch the exchange, referring to the Southern Association’s announcement.
In recent years, dozens of schools participating in pilot programs nationwide have reduced required coursework from 120 credit hours to as few as 90 by eliminating electives. They include Brigham Young University-Idaho and the American Public University System.
Electives are personal-interest classes that schools require students to take in any subject. Popular topics include yoga, creative writing and finance.
Others, such as the University of Minnesota’s Rochester and Morris campuses, still require 120 credits for three-year degrees. They eliminate the fourth year by requiring year-round classes without summer breaks, accepting more dual-enrollment high school credits, counting “critical thinking skills” toward graduation, reducing course options and offering paid internships for credit.
State university branch campuses and small liberal arts schools make up the bulk of colleges adopting the programs.
Ensign College in Salt Lake City announced this month that it would reduce all of its Bachelor of Applied Science degrees to 90 or 96 credits, noting that nearly half of all college students today receive no financial assistance from their families.
“Three-year degrees reduce cost and that makes college more accessible— especially to first-generation students and underserved populations,” Bruce C. Kusch, the Mormon school’s president, said in a statement.
Economist Siri Terjesen, an associate dean at Florida Atlantic University, said the Southern Association is coming late to the party.
She noted that the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits most colleges in the central U.S., is recognizing reduced-credit degrees.
“The move is welcome, but they’re just catching up to a national trend that already has a lot of momentum,” Ms. Terjesen said.
