One-stop site for comparing typical course loads across several schools?

I think they have selective memory. Usually every credit requires an hour of class time, so 30 credits in a semester would be 30 hours IN CLASS every week. Were they not expected to study or work outside of school? Were they graduating in 2 years?

True, but I was thinking one extra course, not an infinite number.

Like I said, uphill in the snow both ways, so I’m not sure how much of it was accurate. One graduated in 2.5 years, the other either a semester earlier or a semester later. I think the one who took an extra semester worked. Neither of them had any social life.

@washugrad, I think you’ll find that that major and school (and their requirements, which will differ by major and school) will be a bigger determinant of how many free classes you’d get than the system (as @ucbalumnus noted)

For instance, isn’t UCSD on a quarter system? That would mean being on the high end of number of classes.

NU being on a quarter system does mean it makes it easier to fit in a double major.

Still, I think you’d find that definitely for engineering and for some other STEM majors as well, just doing the major and study-abroad for a year will eat up almost all your space unless you come in with a ton of AP classes.
I don’t know of many schools where you can study-abroad for a year AND double major AND have a bunch of free space left (unless you come in with a ton of AP credits or are free from distribution requirements like at Echols) regardless of the credit system.

ABET accredited engineering majors must have at least 3/8 of the credits in engineering science + engineering design, 1/4 of the credits in math and natural science, and an unspecified amount of general education (even Brown requires 4 courses (out of 30-32) in humanities and social studies for ABET accredited engineering majors, so it would be reasonable for the minimum to be around 1/8).

So we can assume that, for ABET accredited engineering majors, at least 3/4 of the credits (3/8 + 1/4 + 1/8) are covered by some kind of requirement, leaving 1/4 as free electives. But at many schools, the subject requirements are greater and effectively mean that more than 3/4 of the courses are covered by some kind of requirement for many engineering majors, so that the amount of free electives is lower than 1/4.

Other science majors and other liberal arts majors commonly have about 1/4 of the credits in upper level course work for the major, with varying amounts of lower level course work as prerequisites. But there would also be general education requirements at most colleges.

Same for mine! Her college allows 4 courses per semester with rare exceptions. Coming from high school where she took 5+ academic courses per semester that meant she had to drop something. In her case, sadly, it was the foreign language.

https://www.college.upenn.edu/credits-needed-major (32-36 credits)
Penn SEAS BSE majors generally need 40 or 41 credits

The number of credits required is very major specific; can be an extra course per semester for a particular major. Identify major choice, then see requirements at each institution to determine flexibility. Our children chose programs with more major electives as compared to peer schools.

Though, IMO, @OHMomof2, spending expensive private school credit on foreign language is a bit of a waste anyway. If you really want to learn it, study abroad and become immersed in it. Otherwise, you could always take language courses elsewhere.

True @PurpleTitan though many study abroad programs required a certain level of course completion. As it turned out her major course reqs didn’t allow her to study abroad in a non-English speaking country, so it wouldn’t have mattered. But I take your point.

Re: #27 and #28

It could also matter whether the desired language is readily available to the desired level at community colleges or otherwise.

If you are looking at number of courses/credits to graduate you should also look into how the colleges award and apply AP / IB credit. My daughter entered college with almost a full semester’s worth of credit from AP scores – and reaped the benefit at the tail end by dropping down to her courseload to half-time her final semester. Students could get up to 30 credits - essentially a full year – from AP or IB – so very possible for students to take light loads throughout-- or to take a slightly heavier coarse load and graduate in 3 years. Also worth exploring whether AP allows students to fulfill or waive out of various general ed requirements, or to be applied toward course credit in their majors.

^ Yes, IMO, it makes the most sense to take as few classes as possible, do well in them, and that way still have enough time to devote to ECs and other stuff that may help you determine your career. Some of the classes that are most useful or eye-opening may be unexpected, but often only some of the various major/school/distro requirements will actually be of benefit to you on the path you’ll eventually go down.

If you can save money, that would be good too. A lot of the benefits of being in college come from being on campus or near a college, not the classes themselves.