A typical full-time college student takes 15 credit hours per semester , though the range usually falls between 12 and 18 credit hours.
Standard Credit Hour Load
Most bachelor’s degree programs in the U.S. operate on a semester system, where students need to complete approximately 120 semester credit hours to graduate. To achieve this in four years, students generally take an average of 15 credit hours each semester, totaling 30 credit hours per academic year.
Full-Time Enrollment Requirements
To be considered a full-time undergraduate student, most institutions require enrollment in at least 12 credit hours per semester. Graduate students may qualify for full-time status with fewer credits, often around 9 credit hours, depending on the institution.
Course Load and Workload Expectations
Since most individual courses are worth 3 credit hours, a 15-credit semester typically consists of five courses. For each credit hour, students are expected to spend about one hour in class and an additional two hours on out- of-class study, meaning a 15-credit load equates to roughly 45 hours of academic work per week [web
