Are accelerated bachelor's degrees worth it?

That depends on your work-life balance goals and how quickly you'd like to get into the workforce. An accelerated degree can take up a lot of your daily time since it's condensing a semester's worth of material into a few weeks or months. If you're willing to put in more work for a shorter time period then this degree might be worth it.

What's the fastest you can finish a bachelor's degree?

Typically, the fastest you can complete a bachelor's degree program is two years. However, if you have some college credit already, then it may take less time. Bachelor's degrees generally require around one twenty credits, so you still need to complete all that to earn your degree, no matter how long it takes you.

2-Year Accelerated Bachelor’s Degrees

Updated on March 31, 2025

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Discover the top strategies for earning your bachelor’s degree in two years or less, including online programs, transfer credits, and accelerated courses.

Want a bachelor’s degree but don’t want to spend four years in school? Consider a two-year accelerated bachelor’s degree — it will cover the same content and academic rigor condensed down into 1.5-3 years.

If you enter the program with credits from a previous institution, you can usually lower the amount of time you have to spend earning your degree.

If you’re looking for the final push to convince you to complete your bachelor’s degree, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that bachelor’s degree holders earn about 37% more than associate degree holders.

What Is a 2-Year Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree?

A two-year bachelor’s degree program is a condensed version of a regular four-year bachelor’s degree. These degrees typically require 120 credits of coursework.

An accelerated bachelor’s degree typically comes in two forms: one that utilizes the credits you may have earned previously at another institution and one that compresses four years of content into two.

The former is called a degree-completion program, which requires you to come in with a certain number of credits (usually 30-60) before enrolling. That way, the college can help you complete your degree in way less time.

The latter option is an accelerated bachelor’s that takes four years (120 credits) of material and packs that into two years. Typically, these programs can be rigorous and require a greater time commitment in the short-term, but they help you graduate faster than a traditional bachelor’s degree.

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How Can You Get a Bachelor’s Degree in 2 Years or Less?

There are some ways to get that four-year degree quicker. Most of the ways to do that involve getting college credit outside of your program. If you’re going to enroll in a degree-completion accelerated bachelor’s program, you’ll need 30-60 credit hours to transfer in before you begin.

If you’re still in high school, one of the best ways to do that is through dual enrollment courses that give you college and high school credit. These are usually done through a local community college.

Your second option as a high schooler is to take AP courses, which also grant you college and high school credit as long as you make your college’s passing grade on the AP exam.

Another way you can earn credit is by taking a community college online or in-person class while working. Most online classes are flexible to your schedule and can either be synchronous or asynchronous, meaning they don’t require a specific time you must be online. If you plan on going in person, check if your college offers weekend or night classes.

Also, see if any trade work, certification classes, or other professional development classes and tests count for college credit.

Popular 2-Year Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Some popular two-year bachelor’s degrees are degree-completion programs that build on associate degree programs. One of the most famous programs is the registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing degree (RN to BSN), which can increase the pay threshold.

Teaching degrees are another popular two-year bachelor’s program. If you already have an associate’s degree, an accelerated education program focuses on the core curriculum and completing the required student teaching hours to qualify for licensure. If you’re already a teacher, check to see if your local college or community college has programs to earn your licensure.

Other popular subjects with accelerated programs include computer science, accounting, business, psychology, and marketing.

Is an Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree Cheaper?

A two-year/accelerated bachelor’s degree may be cheaper overall than a traditional four-year degree since you won’t be paying for four years of school tuition and fees.

Typically, tuition for online degrees is cheaper than in-person, and if you’re paying for fewer years, that means fewer fees and overall expenses over a longer period of time.

Most online accelerated programs also count tuition per credit instead of the traditional full-time cost. See if you also qualify for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA helps you apply for grants and scholarships, which you don’t have to pay back, and any loans.

Frequently Asked Questions About Two-Year Bachelor’s Degrees

While there’s no “easiest major” to get a quick degree in, there are a couple of two-year degree options available. An associate degree takes two years to complete and is half the credits of a bachelor’s, which may be easier for you to achieve in two years than an accelerated bachelor’s.

If you choose a bachelor’s degree, a bachelor of arts degree has a slightly lower course load and requires fewer math and science courses, which you may find easier.