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How to Graduate College in Three Years
By
Cece Gilmore
Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.
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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Do you want to graduate college in record time and save thousands of dollars in tuition? If so, you could be holding your college degree in three years! Discover how to make this a reality by reading this guide (written by a three year college graduate!) about how to graduate college in three years. The pros and cons of graduating early, as well as how to actually graduate early, are all covered. Let’s get started!
Pros of graduating college in three years
Lower cost to earn your degree
By graduating in three years, you will reduce the amount of tuition, fees, and housing costs by one year. This will save you a substantial amount of money for the same degree.
Enter the workforce earlier
Graduating early provides the opportunity to receive a steady flow of income from a job earlier than your peers. This can help you pay off any debt you may have or allow you to begin building up your savings.
Able to enter grad school sooner
Similarly to being able to enter the workforce early, you will also have the opportunity to enter graduate school earlier and receive your credentials in a faster time frame. This will help you lower the number of years you will need to be in school for your education.
Related: What is the average amount of graduate school debt?
Ability to take a gap year
If you graduate early, you may not feel as pressured to get a full-time job or attend graduate school right away. Rather, you can take the year to travel or figure out what you want to do next. This is the perfect time to do so because you will still be on the same timeframe as your peers who are taking the typical four-year route to complete their undergraduate degree. So if you graduate early, you will not fall behind by taking a gap year.
Also see: Taking a gap year: everything you need to know
Cece Gilmore | Student, Arizona State University
Student author perspective
Cons of graduating college in three years
Dealing with a tougher workload
If you plan to graduate in three years, you will typically have a tougher and longer workload than your fellow classmates. This is because you will need to take more credits per semester in order to graduate with the necessary number of credits. This means your college life will be filled with a lot of exams, studying, and time management. Your classmates may have a more flexible and lenient college schedule.
Missing out on some of the college experience
When you graduate, the rest of your class will be enjoying their senior year together, which can be extremely hard to part from. This means you will lose out on one year of the college experience which includes networking with students. Additionally, with a shorter timeline, you may need to prioritize academics over other activities which could limit your chances for personal and professional growth.
Cece Gilmore | Student, Arizona State University
Student author perspective
May not be ready emotionally
Post-college life is very different from college life. When you enter the real world, you will have greater financial worries that involve finding a place to live and applying for a steady job. Therefore, it can be hard to transition from college to the real world, exacerbated by leaving behind all of your friends who are staying in school.
Missing out on internship opportunities
You may miss out on internship or externship opportunities if you graduate early. This could be a disadvantage because employees typically want to hire individuals with work experience that can be earned through internships and externships.
Also read: How to get an internship guide
How to graduate college in three years
Ok, so if the pros are more appealing, and you are ready to throw your hat in the “graduate in three years” ring, keep reading! Ideally, you are on your way to graduating college early by being aware of some of the tips below, but if not, there is usually a way to come up to speed as far as required credits. Let’s find out what you need to do next!
Start in high school
There are many opportunities in high school to receive college credit such as AP, IB, dual-enrollment classes, and CLEP exams. Taking these more challenging classes allows students to enter college with credits already earned towards their degree. This means that students who have college credit are able to pass over taking some core classes. Ultimately, students will need to earn fewer credits to graduate with their bachelor’s degree from the college they attend.
Cece Gilmore | Student, Arizona State University
Student author perspective
Also read: Why should I earn college credit in high school?
Choose a major with fewer requirements
Some majors have fewer required courses or allow for more flexibility in course selection. Consider choosing a major that not only aligns with your interests and career goals, but also has a manageable and flexible course load!
Work closely with your academic advisor to create a plan
If you want to graduate college in three years, let your academic advisor know this from the start. This will allow them the opportunity to help you plan out the best course of action in order to graduate early without being too stressed. Some students create a mock three year plan for their course schedule for reference.
Working closely with your academic advisor, take it upon yourself to learn the degree programs requirements. Some students schedule a variety of in-person and asynchronous online courses to ensure that they have the proper amount of time to focus and succeed in their classes.
Overload your credits
The average number of credits a student takes per semester is around 15 credits. However, most colleges allow students to take more than 15 credits a semester with approval and/or extra cost. Therefore, try to take as many credits as you can manage per semester to help give you the flexibility and opportunity to graduate in three years.
Cece Gilmore | Student, Arizona State University
Student author experience
Take advantage of summer classes
Summer classes can help you complete your degree requirements in a quicker time frame. Many colleges offer summer courses which can be completed in a shorter amount of time than a regular semester-long course. Summer courses even offer the opportunity to focus on one to two courses at a time which can help boost your GPA. Additionally, summer courses can allow you to take prerequisites earlier allowing more freedom and opportunities to get ahead in your degree requirements.
Also see: Does financial aid cover summer classes?
Utilize community college course offerings
Similarly to summer classes, community college courses allow students the opportunity to get ahead in their course credits. Community colleges offer an abundance of intro leveled classes during winter break and summer break. Community college classes offer an alternative to summer courses that allow students to get ahead on credits.
Graduating college in three years with a minor or a double major
Adding a minor or double major could make it more difficult to graduate in three years, but it is very dependent on the requirements of the additional program. A minor requires fewer credits than a major and can be completed simultaneously with your major. Therefore, it may be straightforward to add a minor and still graduate within three years.
A double major requires a significant amount of additional coursework and may be more difficult to complete within the three-year timeframe. It is very important to work closely with your academic advisor to plan your schedule in order to ensure that you will meet all of the necessary requirements for two majors.
Ultimately, it is very dependent upon the programs and the college if adding a minor or a double major could still allow you to graduate in three years. Therefore, work with your academic advisor to go over your options and choose programs that fit with your three year goal.
Should you graduate college in three years?
Whether or not you graduate college in three years depends on your individual circumstances and goals. Graduating college in three years can be an amazing opportunity for students who want to save money on tuition and enter the workforce or graduate school sooner. However, it may not be the best decision for everyone (re-read the “cons” shared earlier if you are still not sure). Also, consider the following when trying to decide whether graduating college in three years is right for you:
Financial situation
The most tangible benefit to graduating college in three years is the amount of money you will save. Graduating in three years will save you a significant amount of money on tuition, room and board, and other college related expenses. Review your financial situation (and personal aspirations) to determine whether graduating in three years is the best financial decision for your personal circumstances.
Your academic goals
If you plan to pursue graduate school, graduating in three years may limit your academic and research opportunities that could help make you a stronger candidate for graduate school. Ultimately, think about what you want out of your education and if completing your degree in three years will still allow you to complete your academic goals.
Internship opportunities
Graduating in three years allows you to enter the workforce or graduate school earlier. However, one less year of college may also limit the opportunities for internships, which can be valuable for building your resume.
Personal life
An accelerated plan to graduate can be a challenging college journey to face. Ultimately, it requires that you sacrifice time and energy that could be spent on social activities, a job, hobbies, or personal interests. Therefore, make sure you are willing to make these sacrifices and can manage a heavier workload than your peers.
In addition, it can be really hard emotionally to graduate before all of your friends and enter the real world feeling alone or not connected to your graduating class. Ultimately, reflect on your personal life and whether or not the benefits of graduating in three years outweigh the drawbacks.
Will graduating early from college affect my financial aid and scholarships?
Graduating in three years from college may affect your financial aid and scholarships in different ways, depending on the conditions of your aid. If you have received scholarships or grants that are linked to a specific number of years or semesters of enrollment, graduating early could impact your eligibility for those funds. However, this is a very situational exception that could occur. Ultimately, you should consult with your college’s financial aid office to understand how graduating in three years may impact your eligibility for aid.
So, should you graduate college in three years?
Ultimately, whether or not you should graduate in three years is a personal decision that depends on your individual goals, priorities and circumstances. Consider all of the benefits and disadvantages of graduating college in three years to determine the best path forward for you. Be sure to discuss your situation and goals with your academic advisor who could provide advice on if graduating in three years is obtainable and worth it for your personal situation.
Remember, your college journey is your own path so it can be as long or as short of a journey as you want it to be!
Cece Gilmore | Student, Arizona State University
Final thoughts from student author on graduating college in three years
Key Takeaways
Frequently asked questions about how to graduate college in three years
Can anyone graduate in three years?
Is it possible to graduate college in three years if I did not take any AP courses in high school?
Are there any majors that cannot finish in three years?
However, it is completely up to the specific college’s program and the academic status of the individual to determine whether or not a major could be completed in three years.
Can I still study abroad if I graduate college in three years?
Will graduating college in three years impact my ability to join Greek life?
Will graduating college in three years affect my ability to find a job?
However, graduating early may reduce your chances to gain experience through internships which can decrease your chances of being hired. Ultimately, whether graduating early affects your job prospects depends on the individual and other situational factors such as your qualifications.