Should I Finish My Bachelor’s Degree?

Educational attainment after high school has been steadily ticking upward across the U.S. over the last 15 years, climbing by 16% since 2009, according to the Lumina Foundation. However, many people who pursue a college education struggle to complete it. A 2024 report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center revealed that nearly 42 million Americans — about 12.5% of the population — have some college education but have not earned a degree.

People have various reasons for not finishing college: taking care of family, job demands, financial challenges, and/or health difficulties. While returning to school can be an intimidating prospect, there are numerous options that make it easier than ever to complete a college education — and reap the rewards that come with earning a degree. 

If you are thinking about your future and wondering whether you should finish your bachelor’s degree, an online bachelor’s completion program may provide the flexibility and support you need to achieve your educational and career goals.

Reasons to Finish Your Bachelor’s Degree 

Completing your bachelor’s degree can offer numerous advantages, including refining your professional skill set and improving your career prospects. Some of the key benefits of earning a bachelor’s degree include those below. 

Increase Your Salary

Workers who have higher levels of education typically earn more money and are less likely to be unemployed compared with workers with lower education levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2023, the median weekly earnings for those with a bachelor’s degree was approximately $1,500, while those who had some college education but no degree earned just under $1,000 per week — which translates to about $25,000 less annually. 

Receive Job Benefits

Jobs that require a bachelor’s degree often come with benefits beyond money, such as access to health and life insurance, paid time off for sick days or vacations, and even more possibilities to expand your education and training to advance your career.

Gain Valuable Knowledge and Skills 

Courses in business, communication, and psychology can all offer instructive insights you can apply to your daily life. For example, if you pursue a bachelor’s degree in business administration, you may discover that what you learn in class is instantly applicable to your current position. Additionally, as you age and gain more life experience and clarity about the type of career you want, developing relationships and networking might become easier. 

Return on Investment

The most frequently cited reasons for dropping out of school — and often the biggest obstacles to returning — are time and money. Today, returning to school does not necessarily require giving up your job or adjusting to a new campus. There are numerous ways to complete your bachelor’s degree. Many programs are 100% online and still offer many of the same benefits you would receive from an on-campus program, including a thorough curriculum and opportunities to interact with professors and classmates.

How Does a Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program Work? 

Nearly 1 in 4 first-year, full-time college students choose not to continue their studies for their second year, and nearly 40% of bachelor’s students don’t complete their program within eight years, according to the Education Data Initiative. 

For students like these, a bachelor’s degree completion program allows them to apply previously earned college credits toward completing their degree, even if those credits are not from a bachelor’s program. 

Completion programs are often offered in flexible formats, including an online option, to accommodate students’ busy lives. Because students can use their existing credits to pick up where they left off, they’re able to finish the program and earn their degree in less time than it would take in a typical bachelor’s program.

In addition to having some college credits, completion programs generally have minimum GPA requirements and may have other prerequisites, such as completion of specific college coursework, which varies based on the program. 

Types of Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs 

Bachelor’s degree completion programs cover a wide range of fields. Choosing the right one comes down to your personal interests and professional goals. 

Notre Dame de Namur University offers online bachelor’s degree completion programs in Business Administration and Psychology, providing a pathway for students to expedite their education and launch a career in these fields. Exploring each of these programs and what you can get out of them can help you determine which one may be the best fit for you. 

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration 

The online Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration at NDNU provides a comprehensive foundation in business management and operations, equipping students with a holistic understanding of how businesses function. The program explores various business concepts, including corporate finance, marketing, analysis, organizational behavior, professional ethics, and social responsibility.

To qualify for admission, students need to have at least 45 transfer credits, with a minimum GPA of 2.0, as well as complete four prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher. Those courses include the following: 

• Intro to Accounting
• Microeconomics or Macroeconomics
• Intro to Statistics
• Calculus I or Math for Business Majors. 

Applications to the program must include official transcripts from every school or university you have attended, along with a professional resume or personal statement. You may also include two letters of recommendation with your application, though these are optional. 

The program takes approximately two years (five semesters) to complete on a part-time schedule or one year (three semesters) on a full-time schedule. 

What You Learn in the Program

The business administration completion program is designed to equip you with a versatile and practical skill set, including the following:

• Analytical and problem-solving skills within multiple business disciplines, including accounting, finance, and marketing
• Essential research and communication abilities that help students analyze a business situation, develop a strategy to address it, and prepare and present a report to leadership
• An understanding of the global, social, and ethical dimensions of business events

One of the key benefits of completing a bachelor’s degree in business administration is that it can position you to compete for a host of professions, such as business intelligence analyst, sales manager, and supply chain manager. 

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The curriculum in the NDNU online Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology completion program spans the major areas of study in psychology, including personality theory, psychobiology, abnormal psychology, and social psychology. It also offers students access to up to 12 credits of graduate-level clinical psychology courses — at the price of undergraduate courses — which they can later apply to a graduate degree.

Admissions requirements are identical to those of the BS in Business Administration, including a minimum of 45 transfer credits, plus completion of one prerequisite course in General Psychology, which you can take in your first year in the program.

You can complete the program in as little as two years (four semesters) on a full-time schedule.

What You Learn in the Program

The psychology completion program at NDNU can help you develop a foundational skill set that enables you to launch a rewarding career in the field. The program’s curriculum can help you learn how to:

• Apply basic psychology research methods in research design, review of professional literature, and data analysis
• Communicate effectively through various means, including writing and oral presentations
• Practice interpersonal and intercultural awareness and cultivate an appreciation for diverse perspectives

Complete Your Education, Invest in Your Future 

Bachelor’s degree holders generally earn more money and have better employment prospects than their less educated peers. While the cost and time commitment of a college education can represent obstacles — particularly for those with busy work and personal lives — bachelor’s degree completion programs offer a streamlined path to finishing your education and achieving your goals.

At NDNU, our bachelor’s completion programs in Business Administration and Psychology are 100% online, with asynchronous courses offered in eight-week terms. This format allows you to earn your degree at your own pace, on a schedule that suits your lifestyle. 

Discover how NDNU can help you take the next step in your professional development.