Can three-year degrees solve college cost crisis? - Stefanie Botelho, University Business

College costs are soaring beyond the reach of average families. Student debt has skyrocketed. But a Johns Hopkins University analysis shows a solution to these mounting concerns could be as simple as making the typical degree a three-year pursuit. Paul Weinstein, director of the university’s graduate program in public management, found a four-year degree at a public, in-state, school cost, on average, $35,572 in 2013. A three-year degree at a similar institution would cost $26,679 — a 25 percent savings. Weinstein, whose conclusions were just published by the Progressive Policy Institute in a paper called Give Our Kids a Break: How Three-Year Degrees Can Cut the Cost of College, says the United States can’t afford to ignore the shortened degree option. http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/can-three-year-degrees-solve-college-cost-crisis