3-year college degrees grow more popular in the US, saving time and cash. But critics aren't sold
Giles Sims, who is getting a 90-hour bachelor of applied science in communication from Ensign College poses for a portrait on campus in Salt Lake City, Utah Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Marielle Scott)
Giles Sims, 34, was sick of getting passed over for jobs because he didn’t have a college degree.
But with a wife and a widowed mother to help support, he needed a quick solution. So the laid-off web developer turned to one of a growing number of three-year degree programs.