Graduating in three years, instead of four, reduces tuition and fees by 25 percent, producing an average total savings of $8,893 for in-state students enrolling in four-year universities. It cuts costs at private institutions by $30,094.

The key points:

  • In the U.K., the undergraduate degree requires, not the four years common in the United States, but three years. This is the case in EnglandWales and Northern Ireland.
  • In 2017, Purdue launched the next phase of its three-year degree initiative, which offers three-year degrees in the arts and sciences, “Degree in 3: 4-Year Value for 3-Year Cost.”
  • To accommodate three-year degree enrollees, Purdue offers them “micro-internships” as well as on-campus internships. These students may live on- or off-campus during the three years spent completing their degree.
  • If students come to Purdue with Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate credits, these apply to their three-year degree programs in the same manner as the traditional four-year degree.
  • Boards of regents (or trustees) at Texas public universities should look to Purdue University’s pioneering three-year degree model and adapt it to their campus’s character.