What Is a Bachelor’s Degree? Requirements, Costs, and More…

Students who earn their bachelor’s degree can continue in education, attending graduate school and earning a master’s degree or doctorate, or can choose to launch their career. But what is a bachelor’s degree, what’s in it, and how much does it cost?

What’s a bachelor’s degree?

A bachelor’s degree, sometimes called a baccalaureate, is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by universities and colleges. It’s a basic degree and is the usual next course of study for high school graduates. Degree graduates get to put letters after their name, such as BA or BSc. For a bachelor’s degree the first letter is a B (for bachelors) followed by another letter which shows the area of their major concentration. The most common bachelor’s degrees are a BA – which is a Bachelor of Arts, and a BS or BSc – which is a Bachelor of Science. There are a few more like a BFA – for the visual and performing arts; a BAS – for specialized fields; a BSBA for business administration; and a BE or BEng for engineering. After receiving an undergraduate degree, you may choose to continue your studies in a postgraduate degree course, starting with a master’s degree and moving on to a doctorate PHd.

How long does it take and what will I study?

Undergraduate degrees can take anywhere from 3 to 6 years at a university or college in the US. You are required to earn about 120 course credits, which means you’ll need to attend about 40 courses in all. Your studies divide into 3 three areas – a major, electives and general education. Your major will account for about 25 to 40% of your studies, electives for 40 to 55%, and general education for about 20%.

Depending on your program, you will choose your major when you apply or sometime before the end of your sophomore (2nd) year. Your major is an area of concentration you will study while earning your bachelor’s degree. Your choice of major will impact your future choices in both the education and professional arenas, once you graduate. Some common examples of majors include: biology, business administration, chemistry, computer science, early childhood education, engineering, and mathematics.

General Education includes subjects like math, English, computer science, liberal arts, history, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities (art, literature, and languages). Gen Ed, as students call it, is included to round out an undergraduate education and help to develop critical thinking skills that may be applied throughout your education and career. Electives may be courses that support your major or maybe something completely different.

Where can I get a bachelors degree?

You can study for a bachelor’s on campus in a US university, college, some community colleges or online through a university partnership program like Total Testing. Today you have the choice to study online or in-person, to live at home or on-campus. That’s a real game-changer for students and increases accessibility to a degree geographically, financially and physically. There are even opportunities to earn college credits before you even start. By taking self-study courses and proficiency exams, you can earn college credits, maybe in subjects you already know.

How much will a bachelor’s degree cost?

The Education Data Initiative says that the average cost for an on-campus 4-year bachelor’s degree is:

• $101,948 in a public in-state institution
• $172,644 in a public out-of-state institution
• $212,868 in a private institution

Remember, if you choose to go on campus for your degree, on top of tuition costs, don’t forget that you may have to budget for books, class supplies, travel, accommodation, meals and other living costs.

They state for a similar on-line bachelors 4-year degree the cost is:

• $38,496 with an in-state institution
• $54,183 with an out-of-state institution
• $60,593 with a private institution

Total Testing together with Daemen University has developed a 120 college credit system that isn’t tied to semesters. You can get your bachelor’s degree in as little as little 2.5 years for as little as $9000 dollars. With a  program like Total Testing you drive the pace of your progress, no one else. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get that bachelor’s degree in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost. And it’s not only for high school graduates, if you’re a professional that wants to come back and take or finish your degree, this is also for you too. If you are raising a family or have retired, the flexibility of the Total Testing program is a perfect fit.

Email one of our academic advisors today to get started.