Fastest Bachelor’s Degrees You Can Get Online

Sometimes, four years of college can feel too long when you’re eager to get out into the workforce. Or maybe you’re looking for a way to finish that degree you never finished.

An accelerated bachelor’s degree program allows you to earn that four-year degree in as little time as possible, sometimes cutting that time in half or more, depending on how many credits you transfer over from previous institutions.This guide will help you find the fastest bachelor’s degree options for your educational journey.

There are two common types of accelerated degrees: a degree-completion program and a condensed program that shortens your total timeline.

A degree-completion program is a bachelor’s program that helps you get across that finish line. Maybe you finished a couple of years of school, or perhaps you only took a few classes. This program shortens the typical four years by taking however many credits you previously earned and applying them to your bachelor’s degree credit requirements.

However, a degree-completion program typically has prerequisites and may require you to complete a certain number of credits (typically 30-60) before applying.

By contrast, the other degree program caters to people who want to earn their degree faster than usual. These programs condense 120 credits into two years by offering faster-paced classes with four years of content crammed into two.

Earning an accelerated bachelor’s degree can help you enter the workforce faster or pivot to a new career sooner. Whether coming in with some or no credits, an online accelerated degree program enables you to finish college from home instead of attending classes on campus.

Despite the program length being faster than average, you still have to finish the same 120 credits as a traditional bachelor’s degree. Sometimes, the time to graduate will depend on how many transfer credits you bring into your program from dual enrollment in high school or community college.

If you want to maximize the amount of credits you bring in, see what dual enrollment credit you can earn in high school or take classes online or at a local college.

The average tuition and fees nationally for public college in-state tuition is $9,750, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Still, your tuition may be lower if you enroll with incoming college credit, or it may also be charged as cost-per-credit rather than for an entire semester outright.

The more incoming credits you have, the less your degree may be since you won’t need to pay for as many courses and take as many semesters, which can rack up more fees on top of tuition.

With financial aid, you can bring that cost even lower. If you apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or in-state financial aid, you may qualify for grants, scholarships, and loans. These opportunities are open for online students as well as in-person students.

Accelerated and degree-completion bachelor’s programs typically require 120 total credits. Here are some of the most popular programs that offer quicker ways to earn your bachelor’s degree with incoming credits.

The “# of credits” left in these programs reflects the credits you’ll complete in the programs aside from whatever credits you transfer with, which usually ranges between 30 and 60.

Depending on how much school you’ve completed before, the number of credits you need to reach that 120 total will change.

The shortened length is one of the biggest pros of an accelerated online bachelor’s degree program. Typically, they’re 1-2 years shorter than a traditional bachelor’s program. So, if you’re in a hurry or have the time to dedicate to a condensed program, this may be for you.

Sometimes, the workload can be too much to handle while working full time, so consider your commitments before choosing an accelerated bachelor’s program.

“A heavier course load means potentially more stress, as there can be crucial time demands when taking an accelerated degree program,” says Norma Feriz-Gordon, a college and career success coach. “More credits means additional assignments and more demands on time, which can interfere with social obligations, financial commitments, and even working full time.”

An online accelerated bachelor’s program may be for you if you’re looking to finish your degree from home or finish quicker than a traditional four-year degree program.

“Time is money, and if you can finish faster, you can begin to make more money sooner,” says Feriz-Gordon.