How Many Credits Do You Need to Graduate College?

Key takeaways

A bachelor's degree typically requires around 120 credits, an associate degree about 60, and a master’s degree 30 to 60 [1].

• Your credit load each term determines whether you’re considered a full-time or part-time student, which can affect financial aid eligibility.

• In addition to credits, you may find additional graduation requirements, such as a minimum GPA or time limitations.

• You can find the number of credits you need on your school's website, typically under "Graduation Requirements" or "Degree Requirements."

Learn how credit hours work and how they factor into your degree. Then explore online degrees from esteemed universities.

What is a college credit hour?

A college credit hour is an estimation of the time spent on coursework for a class. One credit hour equates to one hour of instruction per week, plus an expectation of two hours of work outside of class. Many undergraduate college courses are typically three or four credit hours. Credit hours are used both in determining your grade point average (GPA), along with your final grade, and in determining your eligibility for federal financial aid.

The total number of credit hours you take per semester will determine your status as a full-time or part-time student. Generally, taking fewer than 12 credit hours per semester, typically fewer than four classes, qualifies as part-time status, while full-time students will take at least 12 credits: four or more classes per semester.

How many college credits do you need to graduate with a bachelor’s degree?

Most bachelor’s degree programs require 120 college credits [1]. At a four-year institution granting an average of three credits per class, that’s five classes per semester.

Some institutions require more than 120 credit hours to graduate, with certain programs exceeding 140 total credit hours. This difference may be based on the individual degree program, or it may be due to the way universities assign credits to their courses. For example, architecture, engineering, and other professionally oriented programs may require additional coursework that increases the number of credits you need.

Core credit requirements

Beyond the total number of credits earned, a bachelor’s degree will likely require a certain number of credits earned in specific areas: core courses, which are general education courses required of all students, and major courses specific to your desired area of study.

Each university can set its own core curriculum credit requirements, so the total number of core credits required will vary. You can anticipate fulfilling up to half of your required credits in the core curriculum. (Some states have laws governing the inclusion of specific coursework, and others don’t.) Often, the core curriculum will include courses on:

• Writing

• Foreign language

• Arts and humanities

• Social sciences

• Science

• Math

Because the core curriculum is required of all students, some institutions expect students to complete these requirements in the first two years, sometimes before declaring a major. This approach helps keep students on track to graduate within the targeted four years and allows them to explore a range of study topics before committing to one major.

Major credit requirements

Once you do decide upon a major, often declared during the second year of college, you’ll be able to start working toward your major credit requirements. Requirements vary by school and by department. However, many major requirements will fulfill between one-third and one-half of your total required credit hours.

Elective requirements

Beyond core and major curricula, you can fulfill the rest of your credit requirements by taking elective courses, which are courses outside of your core and major requirements that sound interesting to you, or by picking up a double major or minor. A double major means you fulfill all of the major requirements for two majors, while a minor means you’ve completed a shorter series of coursework in a given subject area.

Tip: How to figure out how many credits you need to graduate

For a complete breakdown of your school’s credit requirements, search “graduation requirements” or “degree requirements” on your university’s website. Beyond core and major credits, you may find requirements such as a minimum GPA or time limitations.

Once you have decided on your major, you can likely locate your major requirements by searching “major requirements” on your department’s website. If you are planning to major in psychology, for example, go to the psychology department’s website and search “major requirements.” There, you should see a list of core and elective courses and credit requirements specific to your major.

How many credits do you need to graduate from community college?

Associate degree programs commonly require 60 credits, about half of the credits required of a bachelor’s degree program [1]. However, some associate degree programs require over 80 credits. Generally, it takes about two years to earn an associate degree on a full-time schedule.

This wide range of total credit requirements is primarily attributed to the intention of the program. Liberal arts associate degrees tend to require closer to 60 credit hours. These programs are often used as a vehicle to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program and aim to fulfill many of the general education requirements. 

However, vocational associate degree programs tend to require a higher number of credit hours as they are designed to lead toward a specific job with no further schooling, such as a cosmetologist, dental hygienist, or veterinary assistant.

How many credits do you need in college to graduate with a master’s degree?

A master’s degree will generally require anywhere from 30 to 60 credits, but can require even more depending on the specific master’s degree you seek [1]. Along with this variation, master’s degree programs tend to take between one and two years to complete if you’re attending full-time.

Master’s degree programs often have additional graduation requirements beyond total credit hours. Many require successful completion of a thesis, capstone, or another culminating project.

To determine the total number of credit hours required for your master’s degree, search “graduation requirements” on your program’s website.

Read more: How Long Does a Master's Degree Take?

How many classes are 15 credits?

A 15-credit schedule usually has five classes, assuming each is three credits. However, the exact number varies based on the length of each class. If you take labs, workshops, or activity classes worth one or two credits, your schedule might include more classes to reach 15. Ultimately, the number of classes depends on how many credit hours each course carries.

Can you transfer credits into a degree program?

If you've already earned college credits in the past, you may be able to transfer your credits into a degree program. Depending on the degree you're working toward, the specific courses you took, and your school's course requirements, you may be able to apply those credits to fulfill a portion of your core or elective credit requirements.

To determine whether your previously earned credits can fulfill a portion of your graduation requirements, start by searching for your school's transfer policies on their official website or contact your academic advisor.

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