Three-year degrees could come to Texas universities next fall. Here’s what to know
Follow Three-year degrees could come to Texas universities next fall. Here’s what to know Milla Surjadi Thu, August 27, 2026 at 6:33 PM UTC 5 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.
Students are seen on campus at Our Lady of the Lake University. The San Antonio university announced in April it would start offering accelerated bachelor’s degrees in psychology, social work, criminology and criminal justice, and childhood studies. (Christopher Lee/Staff Photographer) Texas public universities could soon offer three-year degrees under a proposal from Gov. Greg Abbott .
On Wednesday, Abbott directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop a plan for students in some fields to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in three years, instead of four.
Abbott, who is up for re-election in November , said reduced-credit degrees would cut the cost of college for Texans and help them enter high-demand jobs faster. He also pitched it as a way for Texas to meet workforce demands faster.
Advertisement Advertisement Reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees are growing more popular across the nation. Supporters say the alternative degree provides students with a faster and cheaper pathway to launching a career. But critics have raised concerns about the rigor of education students receive with the shorter timeframe.
If approved by the Texas Legislature , which convenes next year, students could see three-year degrees at their public schools as early as next fall, Abbott said Wednesday.
Here’s what to know about three-year degrees.
What is a three-year bachelor’s degree? Students who pursue an accelerated bachelor’s degree take fewer credits, or fewer classes, which allows them to graduate a year early. Bachelor’s degrees are typically four years and 120 credit hours. A three-year degree in Texas would be 90 credits.
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Such a program would also cut the cost of college, including tuition and living expenses, by 25%. Under Abbott’s proposal, students who complete college in three years would save between $15,000 to $35,000 in tuition and living expenses, according to a news release.
What careers could these degrees prepare students for? Abbott is pushing for public universities to offer at least 10 reduced-credit degrees.
At a campaign stop Wednesday, he said he wants the accelerated degrees to be concentrated in high-demand fields that meet Texas’ workforce needs, such as cybersecurity , information technology and supply chain management.
Advertisement Advertisement Working groups with the coordinating board will be tasked with identifying which degree programs and high-demand occupations would be best for accelerated degrees, and will collect student and employer workforce feedback.
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Do any Texas universities already offer three-year degrees? Some private schools in Texas have launched accelerated degrees in recent months.
In April, Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio announced it would start offering accelerated bachelor’s degrees in psychology, social work, criminology and criminal justice, and childhood studies.
These fast-track degrees are 95 credit hours instead of 120. Students are required to select a minor that allows them to gain knowledge and skills outside of the major. Students are expected to take 15-16 credit hours, or five classes, a semester.
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The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton also launched a three-year bachelor’s degree in educational studies this fall. The 90-credit-hour program aims to help address the teacher shortage by preparing students for the workforce more quickly, according to a news release.
These new programs come after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the main regional body that accredits schools in Texas, approved a framework for schools to offer such degrees in March.
What other states have considered three-year degrees at public colleges? As of May, 26 states had at least one college that announced a three-year bachelor’s degree, according to the nonprofit research group RAND.
Advertisement Advertisement Many states have also approved legislation or policies to develop the degrees at their public universities.
Massachusetts, for example, recently approved pilot applied bachelor’s programs at some universities for fall 2027. North Dakota’s state board of education approved a similar pilot program in January.
What do we still not know? Since these programs are relatively new, it is unclear how employers and graduate schools will regard a three-year degree. Evidence for student outcomes nationwide is sparse, according to RAND.
In Texas, it is unclear what classes will be trimmed from a typical four-year curriculum in an accelerated program and how academic standards will be maintained.
Advertisement Advertisement The higher education coordinating board’s working groups, which will include higher education officials, faculty leaders, employers and accrediting organizations, will give its recommendations for a framework to Abbott by Dec. 31.
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This article originally published at Three-year degrees could come to Texas universities next fall. Here’s what to know .
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