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Saint Leo introduces reduced-credit degree
With the rising costs of higher education, many families are wondering if a four-year degree is still worth the price tag. Now, a local university is offering a new option that they say cuts both time and money. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Saint Leo University is launching a new bachelor’s degree this January that requires fewer credit hours than the traditional 120-credit model and is also one year shorter.
University administration said this degree cuts the cost of earning a bachelor’s degree by 25% and fast-tracks students into the workforce.
Reduced-Hour Bachelor of Business Analytics
The backstory:
School leaders with Saint Leo told FOX 13 they are the first university in Florida to offer an accredited bachelor's degree that requires 93 credit hours. That’s a full year less than the traditional 120-credit model.
It’s called the Reduced-Hour Bachelor of Business Analytics.
Dig deeper:
The university said students wanted a way to avoid debt and also a faster track to the workforce.
"I think that students and families are going to respond with a lot of excitement because we're responding to what they're telling us. And we're responding to what the market's telling us," Saint Leo University president Dr. Jim Burkee said.
The math behind the savings
By the numbers:
Saint Leo officials estimate that eliminating the fourth year cuts tuition, as well as room and board costs, by 25%.
"If you take that four-year cost — including the opportunity cost of working for a traditional degree — and then you compare it to saving 25% of tuition, room, and board, plus the $50,000 you're going to earn on average when you graduate, that's sizable savings," Burkee added.
Timeline:
Saint Leo’s new reduced-credit degree program received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) this month.
The new degree program will launch in January 2027.
Saint Leo officials said they will talk to interested students about the new degree. They’ll also pitch it to high school and community college students.
For example, second-year community college students could potentially transfer to Saint Leo, finish the new Business Analytics bachelor's degree in just one additional year, and then enter the job market, Saint Leo administration told FOX 13.
What do employers say?
What they're saying:
Saint Leo said they surveyed employers, describing their response to the new degree offering as "overwhelmingly positive."
The university said employers told them businesses care more about accreditation and relevant experience, not how many hours students sit in a classroom.
What's next:
Saint Leo told FOX 13 the university has plans to expand the 93-credit model to additional degree programs in the future.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13's interview with Saint Leo University President Dr. Jim Burkee, as well as official statements provided by university administration.