Colleges and universities are rapidly adopting reduced‑credit, three‑year bachelor’s degrees as institutions seek to lower time‑to‑credential and appeal to cost‑sensitive learners. Programs approved to award reduced‑credit degrees — 90 credits instead of the traditional 120 — are proliferating from Johnson & Wales to Ensign College, with at least 60 institutions planning or piloting variants. States such as Indiana are encouraging reduced‑credit pathways, and some public systems are retooling degree requirements to compress classroom time while preserving learning outcomes. Proponents say three‑year degrees reduce tuition burden and speed workforce entry; critics warn about academic compression, transferability and the integrity of curriculum design. The fast rollout raises questions for accreditors, faculty workload, and transfer policy as institutions test whether shortened degrees can deliver the same educational and credential value.