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College credit hours are the academic units that measure your progress toward a degree. They determine your enrollment status, impact federal financial aid eligibility, and define the requirements for degrees like a bachelor’s or master’s. If you’re applying to college or you’re already enrolled, it’s important to understand how credit hours work. What follows is an essential guide to credit hours, from how they work to what they mean for your tuition bill, GPA, and graduation timeline.
Key Points
• College credit hours measure academic progress and determine enrollment status and financial aid eligibility.
• One credit hour typically equates to roughly one hour of in-class instruction and two hours of independent work per week.
• Credit hours impact tuition costs, with full-time students often paying a flat fee and part-time students paying per credit.
• Bachelor’s degrees usually require a minimum of 120 credits, while master’s degrees range from 30 to 60 credits.
• Credit hours influence your GPA, with courses carrying more credits having a greater impact on your overall average.
What Is a Credit Hour?
A college credit hour is a unit that represents the amount of work for a course, typically based on time spent in class and doing homework. It is a key metric used to determine a student’s progress toward a degree, define full-time vs part-time status, and calculate tuition costs and financial aid eligibility.
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One Credit Hour Is Equal to How Many Hours?
According to federal guidelines, one credit hour is roughly equal to one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and at least two hours of out-of-class student work per week. That means you can expect to spend about three hours in the classroom and roughly six hours working independently each week for the average three-credit course.
Impact of Credit Hours on Tuition and Financial Aid
The number of credits you take not only impacts your total workload but also influences the cost of your tuition. For example, full-time students (defined as taking 12 or more credit hours) typically pay a flat tuition fee per semester, whereas part-time students (taking fewer than 12 credit hours) often pay on a per-credit basis.
Credit hours also significantly impact financial aid, as your enrollment status (i.e., full-time vs part-time) determines eligibility and the amount of aid you receive. Dropping below 12 credit hours, for example, can reduce a student’s Pell Grant award amount. And students who want to take out a federal student loan need to be enrolled in college at least half-time (six credit hours or more).
How Many Hours of Study Time per Credit Hour Online?
Online college courses typically require the same amount of time as in-person classes. For each credit you take, you can expect to spend around one hour of online class time, plus at least two hours studying and doing homework. So for a three-credit online class, you’ll want to make sure you have at least nine hours per week you can devote to taking the course. That includes three hours of online instruction and six hours of independent work.
Recommended: Do College Credits Expire?
How Many Credit Hours Does a Course Have?
College courses can range between one and five credits, but are typically three or four. Most common courses, like history or literature, are three credit hours, meeting for approximately three hours per week. Language classes, which may rely on an immersion technique and therefore meet more often, can be worth four or five credits. A science lab, often taken in conjunction with a science lecture, may only meet once a week, making it worth one credit.
Credit Hour Calculator
To estimate the total amount of time you’ll spend on classes in a semester, add up the credits you’re taking, multiply that number by three hours (or more, depending on your university’s guidelines), then multiply that total by the number of weeks in a semester.
Below is an example credit hour calculator chart to determine total hours spent on one or more credits.
| Credits | Hours Per Week | Total Study and In-Person Hours Per Semester (15 Weeks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Hours | 45 |
| 3 | 6 Hours | 90 |
| 12 | 36 Hours | 540 |
How Many Credit Hours Do You Need to Graduate?
The exact number of credit hours you need to graduate varies by institution, degree type, and specific program. Below are some general guidelines.
Bachelor’s Degree Credit Hours
Bachelor’s degrees are generally 120 credits minimum and take four years to complete. Schools that operate on a quarterly basis (four terms a year), usually require 180 credits to graduate.
Students enrolled in a bachelor’s program are generally required to complete core curriculum and various credit hour types: general education, major/minor, and elective credits.
General education courses are required courses for undergraduate students that provide knowledge and skills outside of their major. They often cover foundational subjects such math, literature, and sciences. However, the core curriculum might vary by major. For instance, a student majoring in marketing might take intro economics courses, whereas an architect student may take intro art history courses.
Major or minor credit hours are classes related to a student’s field of study. They are often categorized into lower- and upper-division credits. Students must typically complete lower-division courses in order to enroll in upper level courses. Internships may also be mandatory and are converted into credits (generally up to six).
Finally, bachelor’s programs require elective credits — courses unrelated to a student’s major and general requirements. Students sign up for courses out of interest or to complement their major.
Recommended: What Is the Difference Between B.A. and B.S. Degrees?
Master’s Degree Credit Hours
A master’s degree can range from 30 to 60 credits. Students typically need to complete a thesis or project at the end of the program. If you’re enrolled full-time in a 30-credit master’s program, you might only need one year to complete your degree. However, a 60-credit program typically takes two years of full-time attendance to complete.
How Do Semester Credit Hours Influence GPA?
Semester credit hours influence your grade point average (GPA) by acting as a weight; a higher number of credit hours means a course has a greater impact on your overall GPA. This is because each course’s contribution is calculated by multiplying its grade points by its credit hours.
Grade points work as follows: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, and D = 1. The grade point is multiplied by the number of credit hours to give you your quality points. Your final GPA is the total number of quality points earned divided by the total credit hours taken.
For example, if you score an A in your three-credit chemistry class, it has more impact on your GPA than the A in your one-credit photography class. Below is an example of how grades and credit hours impact GPA.
| Course | Grade | Credits | GPA Point Value | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | A | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Microeconomics | A | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Lab | B | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| First-year seminar | B | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Photography | B | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| English | A | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Total | 12 | 45 | ||
| Quality Points/Credits | 3.75 GPA |
The chart above illustrates that if you score all As in your three-credit courses, but all Bs in your one-credit courses, you still walk away with a 3.75 GPA.
By contrast, if all of your one-credit courses are As and all of your three-credit courses are Bs, you end up with a lower GPA, as illustrated in the chart below.
| Course | Grade | Credits | GPA Point Value | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | B | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Microeconomics | B | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Lab | A | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| First-year seminar | A | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Photography | A | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| English | B | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Total | 12 | 39 | ||
| Quality Points/Credits | 3.25 GPA |
What Is the Cost per Credit Hour?
At public universities, the average college credit costs $406 for in-state students, or about $1,218 per three-credit class, according to the Education Data Initiative. The average private four-year university charges $1,469 per credit hour, or $4,406 per three-credit course. These averages don’t represent the full cost of attendance (COA), however, since they don’t include room and board, books, and daily living expenses.
💡 Quick Tip: Even if you don’t think you qualify for financial aid, you should fill out the FAFSA form. Many schools require it for merit-based scholarships, too.
The Takeaway
Earning a degree means accumulating a certain number of college credit hours, which represent the amount of instructional and study time required for each course. Understanding how credit hours work can help you plan your academic workload, estimate tuition costs, and track your progress toward graduation.
Whether you’re pursuing an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree, being aware of credit hour requirements and their impact on your academic standing and financial aid is crucial for a successful college journey.
If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.
FAQ
How many hours is one credit hour?
According to federal guidelines, one credit hour is roughly equal to one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and at least two hours of out-of-class student work per week. That means you can expect to spend about three hours in the classroom and roughly six hours working independently each week for the average three-credit course.
What does three credit hours mean?
Three credit hours typically mean that a course requires approximately three hours of in-class instruction or direct faculty interaction per week, along with at least six hours of out-of-class work (studying, homework, projects) each week. This is a common structure for many standard college courses.
How many credit hours do you need?
The number of credit hours you need depends on the type of degree you’re pursuing. For a bachelor’s degree, you typically need a minimum of 120 credits. Master’s degrees usually range from 30 to 60 credits.
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