Three years and a career

This fall, Johnson & Wales University kicks off an unusual option for students pursuing computer science, criminal justice, graphic design, and hospitality management bachelor’s degrees. Instead of a four-year program, the school is offering students a three-year program, highlighting a national trend toward accelerated education.

Though other schools have offered three-year bachelor’s degrees online, Johnson & Wales is the first to offer such a program in person, at its Providence, R.I., campus. When announcing the programs last year, Chancellor Mim Runey said the school pursued the idea in response “to the call for action to reduce tuition costs and overall student financial burden.”

Three-year bachelor’s degree programs are becoming more popular among college students eager to join the workforce, advance to further graduate-­level studies, or save money on tuition. Just two years after an accreditor approved the nation’s first (online) three-year degree plans, nearly 60 schools now offer or plan to start at least one three-year program, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Schools instituting shorter degree programs often reduce requirements for electives, allowing the student to obtain a degree with fewer than 120 credits. Despite earlier fears that the model shortchanged students by offering inferior programs, accreditors have changed course. The New England Commission of Higher Education, the accrediting body for Johnson & Wales, initially rejected a 100-credit, three-year program proposal in spring 2023 before changing its policies in March 2024. It approved Johnson & Wales’ programs, each with 90-96 credits, last September. Some accreditors require that schools qualify the term “bachelor’s” for these degrees or call them something else entirely.

In states like Massachusetts, program proposals that receive approval from accreditors may run up against state rules requiring at least 120 credits, often due to concerns about graduate school and employer acceptance. Even supporters of the model say it’s unclear how many employers will consider three-year degrees equal to traditional bachelor’s degrees.

At Johnson & Wales, Chancellor Runey said the school surveyed dozens of employers that hire their graduates: “All confirmed that they would readily welcome qualified and skilled graduates from our three-year delivery model.”

David Carson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

Shortage of students

Come next year, some students in St. Louis may be attending different schools. In July, St. Louis Public Schools introduced a plan to close more than half of the district’s current schools. District officials blame low enrollments for the proposed closures, scheduled to take place by the 2026-27 school year, if approved by the school board. According to the district, St. Louis schools are currently operating at about half capacity, and a May tornado displaced some families, exacerbating the drop in students. The district said closing 37 of its 68 schools would save $182 million by 2030-31. District officials expect to serve around 15,400 students this year, down from last year’s 18,000. They expect enrollment to fall 30% over the next decade. —L.D.