Suffolk University and Merrimack College in Massachusetts became the latest universities to gain approval for three-year bachelor’s degree programs after the Board of Higher Education gave the green light Friday.
The colleges join more than 60 other institutions that have approved three-year degree pathways in recent years, according to The College Investor.
California State University, the largest public school system in the U.S., likewise voted in May to approve three-year degree programs, including a Bachelor of Professional Studies, Bachelor of Applied Studies, and Bachelor of Education. Its 22 campuses will decide whether to implement the programs.
The University of North Carolina also recently approved a pilot program for expedited degrees designed by its campuses. Seven of the university’s 16 institutions drafted proposals, which could be launched as early as fall 2027, according to the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.