Full-time enrollment is one of the basic building blocks of college life. It decides how much tuition you pay, what financial aid you can get, and how fast you move toward a degree.
A full-time undergraduate student is usually someone taking at least 12 credits in a semester. For graduate students, the line is normally at least nine credits. Colleges set their own rules, so the exact number can vary by school and program.
Part-time students take fewer credits than that. In fall 2019, about 19.6 million students were enrolled in degree-granting colleges in the United States, and about 7.7 million of them were studying part time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That same year, about 1.7 million of the 3.1 million graduate students were enrolled full time.
Full-time study usually means a faster path to graduation. It also opens the door to more financial aid and scholarships, since many programs require full-time status. The trade-off is time. A full course load leaves less room for work, family, and other commitments. Part-time study gives you more flexibility, but the degree takes longer and some aid is not available.
Think about your budget, your schedule, and how long you are willing to study. Talk to an academic advisor before you commit. The choice between moving into full-time studies and staying part time is one of the biggest decisions you will make in college, and it pays to get it right.
Many students mix work and study. Read about evening classes for working professionals and finding an on-campus part-time job to see how others manage both.
