Earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Six Years? – Making a Career of Going to School

By Valarie R. Austin, April 6th, 2021, 9:30 AM EDT

(Previously Published on LinkedIn)

In the past, a full-time student who attended college could graduate with a bachelor’s degree in four years by earning 120 credit hours. Today, some students are graduating in six years instead of the ideal four years. In a Completing College – National – 2018 report, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center included student bachelor’s degree completion statistics from fall 2012 through spring 2018. The report cited students who began post-secondary education in fall 2012 had an overall national six-year completion rate of 58.3 percent (http://bit.ly/NSCRC_report). Only 41.7 percent of students earned their degree in four years, regardless of institution type and enrollment intensity. The demographics of those attending four-year institutions have changed, affecting the length of time to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Some of the reasons for this change may be some students attend college  part-time while working 10 hours or more, have children to care for while attending school, or face a challenge of having enough financial assistance to complete their degree. The four-year completion norm to graduate and earn a bachelor’s degree has become almost out of date with today’s environment.

There are other reasons some college students may not obtain their bachelor’s degree in four years. Switching their major or transferring schools may have an impact on some of their previous course credits counting toward their degree.  Likewise, the new department or college may require students to take additional courses to complete their degree. Additionally, most community colleges and some four-year institutions require students to take placement tests to evaluate their readiness to perform college-level coursework. These exams consist of math, reading comprehension and writing assessments. If students do not achieve the required minimum scores, the colleges require students to take non-credit remedial or developmental education courses. These courses do not count toward graduation but the students still pay tuition to attend them. A Hechingerreport.org article stated 40 percent of students in four-year colleges and more than 66 percent at community colleges take at least one remedial class (http://bit.ly/Hechingerreport_remedial). Taking remedial classes is another example that may slow the progression of a student’s march toward graduation. Despite the various reasons that a student may not achieve a degree in four years, there are a few suggestions a full-time student may pursue to graduate in four years.  

Learn more about Placement Exams

You should investigate if your colleges of interest require placement exams or offer exemptions. Each school that requires them should have sample placement tests and other practice resources on its website. For more study materials, ask your high school counselor and the college admissions office. Do not take the placement test(s) by cramming overnight. A 2016 APMReports.org article discussed the trap of remedial courses systematically hinders students from graduating college on time and damages their future educational aspirations. (http://bit.ly/APMReports_remedial). Practice and study - scoring well on placement tests is as significant as performing well on the ACT and SAT.

Make a 4-year Academic Plan

Starting as a freshman, schedule a face-to-face meeting with your undergraduate academic advisor each semester even if your college does not require it. Many academic advisors are also available via Zoom or other web chat methods. If possible, request to see the same one each semester in order to establish a rapport. The exercise will increase your knowledge and expectations about your graduation. For instance, you can discuss the ramifications with your advisor if you decide to switch majors or change schools. Additionally, your academic advisor will be a great resource for tutoring resources such as math labs if you are having any academic challenges. With your academic advisor’s help, you should also develop a customized 4-year academic plan. Your flexible academic plan worksheet should include your current classes, required classes for future semesters, prerequisite courses, credit hours per course and projected graduation date. Until you choose your academic major, the academic plan may have course gaps for your junior and senior years. Be proactive in scheduling time with your advisor each semester. Your academic advisor and the flexible 4-year academic plan will help you plot your graduation timeline.

Discover your Passion - College Major Selection

College courses are supposed to prepare students for careers in the workforce by providing specialized knowledge, skills and training through its curriculum. As soon as possible, inspect your school’s academic catalog for its list of academic majors and identify those of interest. Review the curriculum requirements and course descriptions associated with those majors. After that, take a walk over to those departments, speak to current students and/or professors, and proceed to your college’s career center. Ask about careers for the major(s) as well as college internship opportunities. Now, you are better prepared to choose an academic major or program of study. Your next appointment should be with your academic advisor to discuss these major(s) of interest and the impact on your 4-year academic plan. You should also join a college academic club associated with your career field(s) of interest to learn more about the field(s), identify possible mentors and any scholarship opportunities. Do not wait until your college sophomore or junior year to begin this important career exploration. Unfortunately, numerous students haphazardly select majors, which they ultimately switch to something else. Changing majors is a major reason that students do not graduate on time.

15 Credit Hours

Many colleges and universities designate a full-time student as one who takes 12 credit hours per semester. For a bachelor’s degree, 120 total credits divided by 24 credit hours per year equals a 5-year graduation. Conversely, 15 credit hours per semester lead to the coveted 4-year graduation for a bachelor’s degree. Your target to earn enough credit hours per semester and graduate in four years is a conversation to have with your college advisor. Your discussion should incorporate your 4-year academic plan.

Financial Aid

Many students do not complete their degree in four years because they run out of money. Student loans should be the last resort to pay for school. Instead of borrowing money, you may need to hunt for free money also known as scholarships, grants (need-based) and work-study (need-based). The first step to acquire funding is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The money is first come, first serve. The FAFSA period opens on October 1st of your high school senior year. The FAFSA permits students to send the form out to 10 schools at one time. This is a great opportunity to select the school that is the best fit and provides the amount of free money to pay for your education. You should fill out the FAFSA each year that you require money to attend school. Each semester, ask your college financial aid office, major-specific department, college clubs, and employers about scholarships and grants that are available. To obtain the money for school, put in the work to close the gap between paying for school with free money versus taking out student loans.

As students take longer to graduate, they and their parents pay more money in tuition and fees, housing and other costs. Student borrowers accrue more student loan debt to finally obtain their degree. Independent of personal challenges, many college students can graduate on time, which is the optimum objective. Take the time (with your parent/guardian) to think out and plan for your college journey to earn your bachelor’s degree in four years. Have fun! 

Valarie R. Austin is the author of The Student’s Comprehensive Guide for College & Other Life Lessons. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subjects of career and college preparation. She also conducts career and college readiness workshops for high school students and parents. Check out her author’s pages on https://www.linkedin/in/valarie-r-austin, https://www.goodreads.com/valarie_r_austin and https://www.amazon.com/author/valarie_r_austin. A Youtube.com review of her book can found at https://youtu.be/xy_GSHlJsa0. This article was edited by Raffie Johnson. Copyright 2021, Vauboix Publishing LLC. (Article 2 of 5, spring 2021)

The Student's Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons

La Guía Comprensiva del Estudiante para la Universidad & Otras Lecciones de Vida