The Fastest Way Possible to Get an Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree

On your mark, get set…get a degree!

Whether you’re just out of high school and in a hurry to get a jump into the real world, or in the midst of a career change that demands a Bachelor’s degree, there are some proven methods to speed up your educational process.

Top on the list of the quickest ways to a degree is via an Accelerated Bachelor’s degree. And the best way to fast-track that fast degree is to start where you are right now.

Tests that test you out
Even before you’ve been accepted into a college, you can shorten your time in college classrooms by testing out of some courses. Scoring well in exams like the CLEP, DSST and ECE is a good way to get early college credit. These are examinations designed to see how far along you are in areas of achievement and to give you credit for what you already know.

College content before college
Colleges are reluctant to share all the ways you can accelerate your degree and lessen the time and money you spend on their campuses. However, it benefits you and your wallet to get a jump-start and earn classroom credit before you step onto any campus.

The Advance Placement courses offered at high schools across the country can put you ahead of the game before you take your first college class. Take as many AP courses as you can handle in high school, then score well on the AP exams. Cha-ching! College credit and college savings.

Dual credit courses
Some high schools and colleges support double-up options that allow you to work to fulfill high school graduation requirements at the same time you’re racking up college credits. You simply take an extra course or two at an area school, usually a community college, and receive credit for both high school and college.

Online education
There are so many college credit courses available online today, you can easily eliminate a full year of college work before you even enroll at the college of your dreams. By taking full advantage of what’s out there online, you’ll not only save time and money, you’ll also be more quickly immersed in the courses of your major, and eventually the career for which you are aiming.

Caveat
There are so many good reasons to accelerate a bachelor’s degree that it’s hard to believe so few people take advantage of the possibility. The number one reason college students don’t take the fastest route to a degree is that they are simply unaware of it as an option. However, it’s also important to understand that every college has its own criteria about what it will and will not accept on the way to an accelerated degree.  You absolutely can accelerate your Bachelor’s degree, but you’ve got to do a bit of homework before you step onto the fast track path. Check out the requirements for your specific degree and college –and get there the fastest way possible.

This infographic from Rasmusen College shows a steady growth in enrollment remains in the Education, Training and Library Occupations field is expected from year 2010 to 2020. But the expected growth in the Nursing and the Computer and Mathematical Occupations are worth noting at 26% and 22%, respectively from 2010 to 2020. The significant rise in the Nursing occupation, as a result of the growing demand for nurses, makes students more motivated to accelerate their bachelor’s degrees.