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What Are Credit Hours? All You Need to Know

Updated: July 18, 2025

Updated: July 18, 2025

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Key Takeaways

  • Credit hours reflect in-class time: One credit hour usually equals one hour of classroom instruction per week.
  • Expect two hours of study per credit hour: The federal standard includes two additional hours of outside class work for every hour spent in class.
  • Most bachelor’s degrees require 120 semester credits: Or 180 credits if you’re in a quarter-based academic system.
  • Academic calendars impact credit totals: Semester, quarter, and trimester systems assign credit hours differently, but the overall degree requirements remain similar.
  • Typical courses are worth 3–5 credit hours: Most students take 15 credit hours per semester, adding up to 30 per year.

Credit hours are one of the most important building blocks of your college education—but they’re also one of the most misunderstood. Whether you’re planning your course schedule, applying for financial aid, or tracking your path to graduation, understanding credit hours helps you stay on course academically and financially.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what credit hours mean, how they’re calculated, and why they matter across different academic systems like semesters, quarters, and trimesters.

What are Credit Hours?

Each course you take in college is worth a certain number of credits, which can be directly translated into credit hours. Programs have requirements for students to obtain a certain number of credits in order to graduate, and usually have stipulations about certain amounts of credits that must be taken in one discipline or another.

The amount of credits a course is worth typically translates into how many hours you will need to spend on that course, whether in class or outside of class.

Oftentimes, in the U.S., colleges will count credits as the number of hours spent in class. For example, a 3-credit class may mean 3 hours of class or lecture time, and a 5-credit course may equal one hour of class each day of the week for 5 total hours. But that does not mean that you will only spend five hours per week on the class! As defined below, one credit usually means one hour of class time, and two hours outside class time.

What Are Federal Credit Hours?

Federal credit hours are the standardized academic unit defined by the U.S. Department of Education to measure student workload and determine institutional eligibility for federal funding and financial aid programs. This definition ensures consistency across accredited colleges and universities in how credit hours are awarded and counted.

According to federal guidelines, one credit hour represents:

  • One hour of classroom instruction per week, and
  • Two additional hours of independent study, homework, or project work

This calculation is typically based on a 15-week semester, meaning a 3-credit course involves about 135 total hours of combined academic work. Schools must use this framework to maintain accreditation and ensure students meet minimum educational standards to qualify for Title IV aid, including federal student loans and Pell Grants.

Understanding how federal credit hours are structured is essential if you’re relying on financial aid, managing time commitments, or tracking progress toward your degree.

What Is the Difference Between Semesters, Quarters, and Trimesters Credits?

Credits are calculated differently depending on if a school is on a semester, quarter or trimester system. This is because the number of weeks in a course varies between these systems.

Semester schools, for example, may have students taking 5 courses over 15 weeks, twice a year, whereas quarter schools have students take 3 courses over 10 weeks, three times per year.

Both types of schools include a summer vacation in their academic year.

It’s important to understand these differences if you ever need to transfer credit between one type of school system to the other.

Trimester schools aren’t very common, but they will typically offer courses in 12-13 week formats.

Semester credit hours vs quarter credit hours may vary because they need to account for the difference in total number of hours spent in class over the entire course, compared to looking at hours spent per week.

Difference Between Credit Hours vs Credits

While the terms “credit hours” and “credits” are often used interchangeably, they refer to slightly different concepts in academic settings.

Credit hours describe the time-based measurement used to structure your academic schedule. Specifically, one credit hour equals one hour of in-class instruction plus about two hours of study per week across a standard term. This measurement helps schools determine how much time you’re expected to invest in a course and whether you’re studying full time or part time.

Credits, on the other hand, represent the actual units of academic achievement you earn after successfully completing a course. These appear on your transcript and count toward your total degree requirements.

In short:

  • Credit hours = the workload and structure of a course
  • Credits = what you earn once you pass the course

Understanding this distinction is important for managing your course load, planning your graduation timeline, and staying on track for financial aid eligibility.

What Are Contact Hours

Source: Pexels

Contact hours, compared to credit hours, signifies the number of hours where a student spends in class, or at lecture. Typically, for a 3-credit class, students will have 3 contact hours — or 3 hours of in-class or online lectures. Contact hours are for lectures only, and other types of courses such as labs, internships, research, and fieldwork are calculated according to hours spent working on class related materials.

Difference Between Contact Hours and Credit Hours

While contact hours and credit hours are closely related, they serve different purposes in academic planning.

Contact hours refer to the actual time you spend in direct interaction with an instructor—such as lectures, labs, or seminars—each week. For example, if your class meets for three 1-hour sessions weekly, that course has 3 contact hours.

Credit hours, on the other hand, represent the total academic workload for a course. This includes both the contact hours and the expected time spent studying, completing assignments, or preparing for exams outside of class. Under U.S. federal guidelines, each credit hour typically includes one hour of instruction plus two hours of independent work per week.

In short:

  • Contact hours = time in class
  • Credit hours = total time commitment (class + homework)

Understanding this distinction is especially important when planning your schedule, estimating workload, or meeting licensure requirements in programs with minimum contact hour thresholds.

How Many Credit Hours Does One Course Have?

Courses vary greatly in their number of credits, or credit hours.

Some programs offer seminars, for example, which only meet once per week and may only be 1 credit. Some courses may require 3 lectures and 2 lab sessions, equalling 5 hours per week, or 5 credits. Most courses are between 3-5 credits, and meet for 3-5 hours per week, but will expect more hours of outside class work than just those 3-5 hours.

How Many Credit Hours to Graduate?

Most semester programs will require 30 semester credit hours per year (15 per semester), and quarter programs will require 45 quarter credit hours per year (15 per quarter). Bachelor’s degree programs usually require 120 semester credits, and 180 quarter credits. Master’s degrees typically require 30-60 semester credits, and 60-90 quarter credits.

Depending on your program, students are required to have certain amounts of credits in what are considered core courses for the major. Students may also need certain amounts of credits from certain disciplines or colleges within the university.

The Bottom Line

What are credit hours? At U.S. universities and colleges, the phrase ‘credit hours’ is used interchangeably with the word ‘credit.’ Credit hours equal the number of in-class time you will spend on a course.

Remember, though, you will spend a lot more hours outside class time to earn those credits. Students need a certain number of credit hours to graduate, and it’s important to remember that credit hours may vary between semester schools and quarter schools.

FAQs

What exactly are credit hours in college and university programs?

Credit hours are a time-based measurement of academic work. Typically, one credit hour equals one hour of classroom instruction and two hours of outside study per week during a standard term.

How are credit hours calculated for different types of courses?

Credit hours are based on total student workload. A 3-credit course usually involves about 135 hours of work, including class time and independent study over a 15-week semester.

What’s the difference between credit hours and actual credits earned?

Credit hours refer to the course’s time structure and expected workload, while credits are the academic units you earn after passing the course. Credits count toward graduation and appear on your transcript.

How many credit hours equal one semester credit typically?

One semester credit generally equals 15 hours of classroom instruction plus 30 hours of study, spread over a 15-week term. This totals about 45 hours of academic work per credit hour.

Do online courses have the same credit hour requirements?

Yes. Accredited online courses must meet the same credit hour standards as traditional classes, even if the delivery format is different. The workload and academic expectations remain equivalent.

How many credit hours are needed for full-time student status?

For undergraduates, full-time status typically requires 12 or more credit hours per semester. Graduate students may be considered full time with 9 or more credit hours, depending on the institution.

What’s the maximum credit hours students can take per semester?

Most schools cap enrollment at around 18–21 credit hours per semester. Taking more may require approval from an advisor or department chair.

How do credit hours affect financial aid and tuition costs?

Credit hours determine whether you’re eligible for federal aid and influence your tuition structure. Full-time students often pay a flat rate, while part-time students typically pay per credit hour.

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.
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