Massachusetts Pilots Three-year Bachelor’s Degree Programs

On June 26, 2026, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved a pilot program in two institutions for three-year applied bachelor’s degrees starting in Fall 2027. Merrimack College will pilot a 96-credit version of business administration, communications, criminal justice, and psychology, and Suffolk University will pilot a 94-credit version in healthcare administration and innovation. Institutions will be required to share reports on data such as enrollment, finances, and assessment of progress. Massachusetts’s Department of Higher Education will develop an additional evaluation rubric and will be engaged in an accreditation review within two years. These programs add to a growing effort by the state to offer more affordable college options, including free community college, free and more affordable public four-year degrees, and expanded Early College programs.