One of 14 paths
Earning a bachelor's degree at a four-year college or university.
You earn a bachelor's degree at a four-year school, on campus or online.
It fits if you can handle years of coursework, whether you know your field or not.
Watch for: starting, borrowing, and not finishing, so run each school's net price calculator (a free estimate on its website of what you'd pay after grants).
Each scale shows its level and the reason, and "our read" marks a judgment call.
Level: You pay a lot before aid, 5 of 5 on the paying side
A four-year school charges the most up front, though aid often lowers what you pay.
Dollar signs to the left of the middle mean you're paid while you do it, and dollar signs to the right mean you pay. More of them means more money either way. The mark in the middle means free.
Level: About four years, 4 of 5
A bachelor's degree is four or more years of mostly academic work, and some take longer.
Level: Higher, 5 of 5
Jobs that ask for a bachelor's degree tend to pay more, though it varies by field.
This varies a lot with the specific job, the place, and experience.
Middle means the middle pay across all jobs.
Level: An application, 3 of 5
You apply to most four-year schools, and the deadlines fall in senior year.
Level: Hard for a while, 4 of 5
Leaving partway can be costly, since borrowing without finishing is the main risk.
Level: A lot new, 4 of 5
You're often away from home, with a lot of freedom and a lot to manage yourself.
The work is mostly academic, and you're often away from home. You get a lot of freedom and a lot to manage on your own. A full-time load is 12 or more credits, and by federal rules each credit stands for at least three hours a week, one in class and two outside.
You usually need a diploma or GED to get in. Most four-year schools admit by application, with deadlines during senior year, so check each school's dates. Applying keeps the option open without committing you, unless it's an early decision application, which is binding. A bachelor's degree normally takes four to five years of full-time college work. Cost and payoff vary by school, so run each school's net price calculator. Colleges that take federal aid and enroll first-time, full-time students must post one. A 504 plan or IEP (Individualized Education Program) doesn't carry over to college, so ask the college for accommodations early.
It's the route into fields that need a degree, like medicine, law, teaching, and engineering. Where it leads depends far more on your major and school than on the degree in general. A year in, about 8 in 10 first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2019 were back at the same school. Six years in, about 64 percent of the fall 2014 starters had finished their degree at the school where they started.
Asking to defer, or starting at community college, keeps the option open. A 2017 federal study of 2004 to 2009 transfers found students lost an estimated 43 percent of their credits on average, or 37 percent between public schools. If you borrowed, federal loans go into repayment once you leave school, finished or not, usually after a grace period.
Pick one to try this month. Trying a thing isn't choosing it.
Put these to an admissions office, or to a student a year or two in.
Denzel Washington started at Fordham University in pre-med, then moved to pre-law, then journalism. After a semester with a 1.8 GPA and some time off, he went back to Fordham, switched to drama, and finished his degree.
A story like this can't tell you what's likely for you.
Costs, deadlines, and aid vary by school, so check at the source.
These three paths are worth weighing next to this one, and their pages use the same scales.
It fits if you're unsure of a major, want options open, or plan to transfer later.
It fits if you like hands-on, physical work and want a clear path in.
It fits if you want structure and a clear next step, and you've thought hard about the commitment.