It’s an old idea that never grabbed traction, but in lieu of mounting student debt, falling enrollments, and increased dropout rates, the three-year college degree is gaining a lot of attention. Secular institutions have finally realized that packing a course of study with electives doesn’t keep students interested in individual fields of choice, and some are going toward a streamlined 90 credits to graduate instead of the traditional 120.
The national initiative is called College-in-3 Exchange, and several prestigious schools have dipped a toe in the water of change. Brigham Young University-Idaho and the private American Public University System were the first to venture into the unknown. Let’s face it: 90 credit hours versus college dropout should keep everyone happy. Students have fewer costs, and institutions still make money.
Robert Zemsky,…
