Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing Texas colleges and universities to explore a new option that could allow students to earn bachelor’s degrees in three years instead of the traditional four.
Abbott on Wednesday directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop recommendations for creating three-year bachelor’s degree pathways, an effort state leaders say could lower the cost of earning a degree while getting graduates into the workforce sooner.
Under such programs, students could potentially complete about 90 credit hours rather than the roughly 120 hours typically required for a bachelor’s degree.
“Texas students are our future leaders and the workforce of tomorrow,” Abbott said in a statement announcing the directive. “They deserve the option to receive a degree in a high-demand, high-wage field in less time as a means to reduce the overall cost of securing a degree.”
The coordinating board will establish a working group to study how three-year degrees could be implemented in Texas. The group is expected to consider student demand, workforce and employer needs, institutional approval requirements and other factors.
Public college and university administrators, faculty leaders and other stakeholders are expected to participate in the process. Recommendations are due to the governor’s office by Dec. 31.
Abbott said he plans to work with state lawmakers next year to establish the pathways.
The proposal is part of a broader effort by the governor to address the cost of attending college in Texas.
Abbott has required public colleges and universities to freeze tuition since the 2023-24 school year. This week, he also backed legislation that would require four-year universities to offer financial discounts to undergraduate students taking summer courses.
“Every semester adds tuition, fees, housing, food, transportation, and other living expenses and delays students’ ability to begin their careers,” Abbott said in a media release.
The push also comes as Texas continues to face challenges getting students through college on time. According to state data, fewer than half of undergraduate students at Texas four-year universities complete their degrees within four years. Students from low-income families are significantly less likely to earn a degree or certificate.
Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser said shorter degree pathways could address both affordability and workforce needs by allowing graduates to enter high-demand occupations a year earlier.
The idea has been gaining traction nationally.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which accredits many Texas public colleges and universities, began approving three-year degree programs in December.
Research from the nonprofit RAND found that, as of this spring, 26 states had at least one college offering a three-year bachelor’s degree, although the programs remain concentrated in a relatively small number of states.
Texas’ approach is still in the planning stages. The working group will have to determine which degrees are suitable for a shortened pathway and how institutions could reduce credit requirements while meeting academic and accreditation standards.
The proposal could then move to the Texas Legislature next year, following the working group’s recommendations.
Abbott, who is seeking reelection in November, has increasingly focused on college affordability as part of his higher education agenda. The three-year degree proposal would add another option aimed at reducing the time and money students spend earning a credential while helping Texas employers fill high-demand jobs more quickly.
