Virginia Joins Initiative to Create Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree Model

Higher education leaders in Virginia and Ohio announced Thursday that they will join forces to create a model for three-year bachelor’s degrees, cutting the traditional timeframe of obtaining the credential by one year.

The move reflects Virginia’s strategic plan to better align higher education with student and employer needs and increase affordability.

Currently, the laws in Virginia and Ohio require at least 120 semester credit hours to earn a bachelor’s degree. By spring 2028, participating institutions are expected to propose two 90-credit degree programs.

If successful, the 90-credit undergraduate degree would likely require legislative action, depending on how programs are structured.

“Virginia’s higher education institutions continue to lead the way in innovation, demonstrating a statewide commitment to ensuring higher education delivers on its value proposition to students and families,” said Scott Fleming, the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia’s executive director, in a statement on Thursday.

“Colleges and universities throughout the country are already offering three-year degrees, but there is no national model. This effort will create new pathways for students to pursue their life and career goals while ensuring a rigorous education experience,” he added.

The effort emanates from a joint venture with Jobs for the Future, Arnold Ventures, Strada Education Foundation, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and Ithaka S+R on the “Scaling College in 3” initiative.

The three-year degree initiative builds on the work of higher-education researchers Robert Zemsky, Lori Carrell, and colleagues through the National Center for Inquiry & Improvement. The group argued in 2023 that college takes longer and costs more than it needs to, and many students are paying for credits that aren’t essential for a degree or a career.

Higher education representatives from Virginia and Ohio will meet with national experts over the next year to discuss the program’s design.

Potential legislative changes may be required in some states that have statutory or regulatory minimum credit-hour requirements.

In Virginia, however, state officials indicate that the code does not prescribe credit-hour requirements for public institutions or exempt nonprofit private institutions, so any impact would likely depend on accreditation standards and institutional policies rather than state law.

The General Assembly has already supported goals to improve affordability and encourage expedited degree completion.

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.