North Dakota Approves Three‑Year Bachelor’s Degree Pilot at Eight Colleges

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education has approved a three‑year pilot program allowing bachelor’s degrees with as few as 90 credits—down from the standard 120—at eight public institutions starting this fall. The change is limited to bachelor of applied science programs in career and technical fields at Bismarck State College, Dickinson State University, Mayville State University, Minot State University, North Dakota State College of Science, North Dakota State University, the University of North Dakota and Valley City State University, with each campus allowed up to two pilots. Board chair Kevin Black said the goal is to create faster, lower‑cost pathways into the workforce while keeping all core curriculum and general‑education requirements, trimming only electives and adding guardrails such as excluding licensure‑track fields and tracking retention, completion and job placement. The pilot runs through summer 2030 unless extended, and system officials say other degree types, including education and health‑care bachelor’s programs, could eventually be considered if the model proves successful. The move fits into a broader national push to cut time‑to‑degree and address skepticism about four‑year college costs, and observers will be watching whether employer outcomes support wider adoption.