Accredited Bachelor’s Degrees
The bachelor’s degree is by far the most popular degree program. Many students fresh out of high school seek out a bachelor’s degree, and even those who have long since completed high school or the GED endeavor to earn a bachelor’s degree when they return to college. This is because many job positions are available in varying industries to bachelor’s degree holders. Graduates can either enter an entry-level job upon graduation or jump straight into one of high responsibility, depending on the field in which they are working.
A bachelor’s degree typically takes about four years to earn. In the 2001-02 school year, approximately 57 percent of first-time college students completed their bachelor’s degree programs in six years or less, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Though you can earn an associate degree in a shorter time span, there are alluring benefits to taking the extra time to earn a bachelor’s degree instead. Aside from the increased number of job opportunities, those who earn a bachelor’s degree are also more likely to receive better pay. In fact, bachelor’s degree holders earned an average median salary of $1,025 in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is $264 more per week than the median earnings of an associate’s degree holder and $399 more per week than those who only hold a high school diploma. That means over the course of a year, bachelor’s degree holders earn approximately $13,200 more than associate’s degree holders and $19,950 more than those who only hold a high school diploma, the Bureau asserts.
If the financial incentive were not enough reason to pick a bachelor’s degree, there is also the higher chance of finding a job. Bachelor’s degree holders are less likely to experience unemployment than those with an associate degree or high school diploma.
Here are some of the most popular bachelor’s degree programs: