New entrants and traditional colleges are accelerating experiments to shorten and lower the cost of postsecondary credentials. Udacity, via accreditor Woolf, launched an AI‑focused accredited MBA it says can be completed for under $5,000, and institutions from Johnson & Wales to Ensign College are rolling out reduced‑credit, three‑year bachelor’s options. Program designers frame the moves as aligning credentials with rapid workforce demand and lowering opportunity costs for students. Udacity’s degree bundles project‑based ‘‘Nanodegree’’ modules with an employer‑oriented capstone; three‑year B.A. pilots reduce credits while claiming academic rigor through curricular redesign. Colleges weighing compressed degrees should ensure accreditation alignment, financial‑aid eligibility and transparent learning outcomes. Employers and regulators will watch closely for evidence that shorter programs deliver comparable competencies and real labor‑market returns.