Universities across the country are starting to offer three-year bachelor’s degrees. Now, this might sound like a sham, like some kind of bachelor’s lite, but really it’s just a clever way to repackage summer school and heavy course loads. All of the requirements and classes are staying the same, leaving me to wonder just what the big deal is–and it is a big deal to many. Everyone, from senators to heads of major education groups, is weighing in on the three-year degree.

The Reality of the Situation

I earned an old-fashioned four-year degree. It took me five years, two schools, and three different majors.This isn’t uncommon. Nearly all of the friends I made that first year as an electrical engineering major have switched career paths at least once, and none of us made it out in four years. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 36.1 percent of first-time undergrads who began school in 2000 managed to graduate in four years, and only 57.5 percent made it out in six. In six years, you could finish two of these fantastic “new” three-year degree programs. Unfortunately, two out of every five students can’t manage to finish the one four-year degree.

So, why is this being touted as higher education’s knight in shining? Former U.S. Secretary of Education, Senator Lamar Alexander, compared these three-year degrees to “higher ed equivalent of a fuel-efficient car,” following that nugget of wisdom up by running with the metaphor and calling the traditional option a “gas guzzling four-year course.” Alexander C. McCormick, director of the National Survey of Student Engagement and the voice of reason in this debate, said “it would be nice if institutions actually provided four-year degrees [...] before we think about accelerating.” Amen, brother.

Allowing students to work harder and without vacations does not a new degree make. Sure, you can save some money by getting out in three years, but only if your school charges a flat rate for all the classes you can eat, er, take. If this isn’t the case, you still get to pay for all of your credits.

And will this degree come with some special distinction? Is it an honors program? It certainly has requirements that smack of an honors program. Many universities are requiring participants to enter with at least 12 credits and maintain a 3.0 GPA. Without any clearly stated benefit other than less time in school (meaning less money), this sounds a little like Tom Sawyer extolling the virtues of whitewashing fences.