Credit Hour
What a credit hour is
A credit hour (also called a semester credit hour) represents one hour of classroom instruction per week over a 15-week semester, plus approximately two hours of outside study per week. A typical 3-credit course requires about 45 contact hours over a semester.
The U.S. Department of Education defines one credit hour as “one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester.”
The 120-credit BS requirement
Most U.S. bachelor’s degrees require 120 credit hours:
- 30-40 credits: General education requirements (English, math, social sciences)
- 60-70 credits: Major-specific courses
- 10-20 credits: Electives or free credits
The total cost of a degree is the per-credit price multiplied by the number of credits you actually need to complete (not the full 120, if you have transfer credits).
The gate-20 math: per-credit cost is a misleading comparator
Per-credit sticker prices obscure total cost. The honest comparison requires:
- Your transfer credits: How many credits will the programme accept? SNHU accepts up to 90 of 120; ASU is more restrictive.
- Your expected completion pace: WGU’s flat-rate model is cheaper for fast completers; per-credit models are cheaper for slow completers with many transfer credits.
- The total credits you will actually pay for: If you have 60 transfer credits and enrol at a $500/credit programme, you pay for 60 credits ($30,000). The same 60 remaining credits at $320/credit = $19,200.
| Programme | Per Credit | 120 credits (no transfer) | 60 credits remaining | 30 credits remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State | $572 | $68,640 | $34,320 | $17,160 |
| ASU Online | $499 | $59,880 | $29,940 | $14,970 |
| SNHU | $320 | $38,400 | $19,200 | $9,600 |
| WGU | Flat $3,755/term | $7,510 (2 terms) | $7,510 (2 terms) | $3,755 (1 term) |
WGU’s flat-rate model makes the per-credit comparison irrelevant for fast completers.
Last verified: 2026-05-01