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If you or someone you know is a safety professional considering going back to school for a degree, time is an important factor. Perhaps you have family at home or other responsibilities, so you can’t commit to being a full-time student. On the other hand, maybe you’re in the later stages of your career and want to earn a degree as fast as possible to maximize your earnings potential and retirement savings.

Whatever your reason for pursuing a degree, a natural question is, “How long does it take to get a bachelor’s degree?”

The National Center for Education Statistics—an entity within the U.S. Department of Education—collects and analyzes data about the condition of American education. As stated in its 2020 report about time to degree (PDF), the NCES has found that, of all students who attended college for the first time in the 2011–2012 school year and completed a bachelor’s degree, the average number of months elapsed between starting school and completing the degree was 48.5 months, or 4.04 years.

The average of just over four years to complete a bachelor’s degree isn’t surprising. After all, bachelor’s degrees are frequently called “four-year” degrees, and institutions offering them are often called “four-year” colleges.

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that this result is simply an average. Many students have completed their degrees in less than four years or more than four years. In this article, we explore the various factors that can impact how long it can take to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Read more about how long it takes to earn a bachelor's degree on the website of Columbia Southern University.

Disclaimer: Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography and degree field, affect career outcomes. CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.