Massachusetts Opens the Door to Three-Year Degrees and Other Innovative Approaches to Higher Education

Massachusetts Opens the Door to Three-Year Degrees and Other Innovative Approaches to Higher Education
Board of Higher Education approves a new regulation that creates a pathway for innovative pilot proposals, including three-year degrees to lower costs

BOSTON – New regulations approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) today open the door to innovative approaches to make it more affordable for students to attend college and help them graduate and join the workforce faster. The approved regulation allows the state’s public and private colleges and universities to propose pilot programs that increase the effectiveness of higher education, but may require the Board to waive one or more of its other regulations on degree-granting authority. This includes the option to offer three-year bachelor’s degrees, in line with what other states across the country are doing.

“Massachusetts is the innovation state – and we want to apply that to our higher education system to make it more affordable for students to pursue college and help them succeed through graduation and beyond,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re creating a pathway for colleges to allow some students to graduate in three years, which will help make us more competitive with other states, lower costs, and support students and our workforce.”
 
“In Massachusetts, we have industries that need talent and students eager to grow their education and careers,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I’m grateful to the Board of Higher Education for inviting campuses to innovate in a way that will benefit students, faculty, employers and our economy.”
 
The Board’s existing regulations require that bachelor’s degrees in Massachusetts include at least 120 credits, amounting to the traditional four-year degree. Approval of the Innovation Regulation does not mean automatic approval of bachelor’s degrees below 120 credits. Rather, the Board vote creates a pathway for institutions to propose sub-120 degree pilot programs, among other innovative approaches, by submitting an application that is subject to Board review, approval, and -- upon the completion of the pilot -- evaluation to assess whether the pilot met its intended goals.
 
“The ‘traditional college student’ is a thing of the past, and as a state, we must be open to exploring innovative approaches to college degrees that work for the lives of students,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “This Innovation Regulation shows us how consumer protection and innovation can co-exist, and I’m excited to see what types of proposals the Board receives.”
 
Degree-granting pilot programs proposed under the Innovation Regulation must be responsive to significant changes in society, demographics, technology, educational research, or expectations regarding post-secondary education. 
 
“These regulations invite ideas on how to increase the effectiveness of higher education,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “We’re inviting campuses to innovate in order to meet the needs of students and the Commonwealth, and we’re doing it in a way that maintains the Board’s careful review of program proposals and upholds consumer protections.”
 
"The Board of Higher Education prioritizes smart, responsible innovation to accelerate needed change in higher education,” said BHE Chair Chris Gabrieli. “In a state that leads the nation and even world in higher education, I am proud that we are offering a balanced approach that focuses on pilots which will allow us all to work with pioneering colleges and confirm whether creative new approaches provide students with real advantages."
  
Innovation is one of the BHE’s four strategic priorities in service to its Equity Goal. The other strategic priorities are Student Success and Financial Aid, Economic Mobility, and Public Good. The BHE began discussing sub-120 credit bachelor’s degrees at its December 2024 meeting, and in 2025, the Board held discussions on how to allow for responsible exploration, which formed the foundation of the approved regulation. The Department of Higher Education (DHE) engaged with stakeholders to finalize the draft regulation, and on October 28, 2025, the BHE voted to open a public comment period.
 
Institutions proposing degree-granting pilot programs under the Innovation Regulation will be evaluated on two main criteria:  the pilot’s innovation and consumer protection. Depending on the proposal, institutions may need to demonstrate how the new offering will grow the effectiveness of higher education, how it responds needs such as labor market or student demand, that the institution has sufficient resources to deliver the program, and that the risks of advancing the pilot are outweighed by the proposed benefits. The regulation includes several, detailed consumer protection provisions, including that the institution must demonstrate that it has sufficient resources to initiate and sustain the initiative, that the program proposed meets quality standards related to admissions and degree requirements, and that the pilot will be marketed clearly and transparently, among other requirements.

Institutions submitting pilot proposals under the Innovation Regulation must also meet minimum criteria that include being accredited without sanction for a minimum of six years; having operated in good standing, with a continuous physical presence in Massachusetts for six consecutive years; and not having any open investigations or corrective actions, including investigations related to the sufficiency of financial resources.
 
Based on an evaluation of a pilot program approved under the Innovation Regulation, the BHE will either grant full approval, extend conditional approval, consider future regulatory or policy changes to codify and scale the pilot, or work with the institution to phase out the pilot if unsuccessful.