… if you double-major, do the costs double?
I’m embarrassed how stupid this question might sound, but as I’ve stated before, we’re new to the US college system, and it stands to reason that you would have to pay more if you wanted to major in two subjects, or even if you wanted to major and minor in differing areas, but I’ve never heard it mentioned before, and to be honest, I’d be too embarrassed to ask out loud on a college tour. You guys can laugh all you want - I don’t have to hear it! 
And if you don’t make your mind up on a major in the first two years, do additional costs then kick in in junior year for the major/majors you choose?
Thanks (in embarrassment) again.
It might cost more, but probably won’t be double.
Some colleges charge by every credit so if the second major requires more overall credits, you will pay more. Some colleges charge the same price (full tuition) for 12-18 credits in the same semester. A second major in another college (say history and business) may require different core classes so you have to take an extra semester or year of school, and that will cost more.
Costs don’t double for a double major, but tuition typically assumes a certain number of credits in a semester so if you take more than that amount you may have to pay a supplemental fee per credit hour. Depends on school policy. Also, a double major may require taking summer classes, so you would have to pay that tuition separately. However, if a student has enough AP/IB credit coming in, they may be able to take all of the classes needed to earn a double major without incurring additional costs.
Regarding your second question, it is remotely possible that additional costs may kick in once you’ve chosen a major if the school has fees associated with that major. For example, DS’s school charges engineering students additional fees. Very school-specific question.
Costs increase only if you exceed allowable credit limits and need to take extra credits or stay in school longer to complete both degrees.
And that makes perfect sense now! Thank you so much. I’m so glad I asked. DD will have 9 AP credits (hopefully by then) so that might help. I’m not even sure she’d want to double major, but I’m glad I asked the question anyway.
It depends on the university. If you have a particular university in mind, you could go to their website and see if it is in their FAQ section.
Some universities might have a supplemental tuition fee if the 2 majors are not in the same college of XYZ. Like College of Engineering, College of Fine Arts, College of Agriculture, College of Liberal Arts etc.
As far as additional cost for waiting to decide, it probably depends on the university. I knew one family whose son was in “undecided major”. But he knew he wanted to major in engineering. So he took the same course work as the engineers and was able to transfer into the College of Engineering. The student paid basic tuition while undecided then paid the supplemental tuition fee once in the College of Engineering. His parents said it was like getting a scholarship - not having to pay the supplemental fee.
Some universities will have a fixed tuition rate for 4 years. So if the student needs more time to finish the tuition would be at the current rate.
& this is not a stupid question.
@smookypie: Also, your question is a great question because it shows that one can get a lot of extra value from school by double majoring for the cost of one degree.
A valuable double major that comes to mind is accounting & finance, or management & any other business concentration. A double major might include a foreign language to make one more attractive to employers seeking to fill positions overseas.
And it will cost just as much if your kid never finishes a degree but attends 8 semesters or more. Typically 12 semester credits means being a full time student and currently over 18 credits will incur an extra fee. 120 credits to graduate would mean averaging at least 15 credits per semester. AP credits can help at some schools (most public U’s I suspect) and they can vary based on the AP score- a top score can replace a college course while a 3 may just mean general credits in a field. College is not just the numbers of credits but the courses- majors require advanced level classes, not just x number of credits.
It gets more confusing as the number of classes to make up the total credits in a semester can vary. An example would be 15 credits. Is it easier to do well in three 5 credit classes or five 3 credit classes? Or problem solving versus writing papers- depends on the student. Then there are 2 credit chemistry labs that take 8 or 9 hours (two sessions) each week, plus the outside class time. Thank goodness they don’t do “class ranking” in college- far too many variables.
It is definitely possible to double major without incurring extra costs. My older son double-majored in math and economics, and was done with all of his required courses half way through his senior year. He had 4 AP courses coming in and did not take any summer courses. His brother intends to double major in physics and geology. He has 3 AP course credits, but at his college they don’t count for much besides credit. He did take 2 classes last summer at a state university near home to get a required math prerequisite early. Those two summer courses cost $2750 total. He is finishing his sophomore year and has 3 courses left for the physics major. If he has to settle for a geology minor in the end, I don’t think it will matter for his career goals.
It really depends. It won’t cost more at any LAC I know of. At my kids’ LAC students can take as many credits as they can handle and you could triple major and it wouldn’t cost more.
If your child goes to a liberal arts college (LAC here on CC!), there will be no additional cost as long as he finishes in four years. Tuition, room, and sometimes the meal plan, are all a fixed (outrageously expensive!) cost.
My son did not declare his major until September of his junior year, so there’s no rush to declare, nor are there any extra costs if you delay choosing, at many schools. They want you to take as broad a range of courses as possible so that you’ll be 1) well-educated and 2) choose the most suitable major for yourself. (Of course, my son hates his major, but that is a different story!)
If your child is at a university, he may pay by the credit, so there might be an additional cost if he has to take more courses to satisfy the requirements for his majors, but it will certainly not be double.
And that was not a stupid question.
Also think about if you want to double major or just take courses in a second area.
You also need to check if the double major is really a double degree. If you double major in English and history, those as most likely in the same college and have the same core classes. If you are getting a BA and a BS, there may be a requirement for 30 or more extra credits, so yes, extra costs.
Generally, a student taking a regular course load, provided that they meet the general education requirements and requirements for at least one major, can use the other places in their course schedule as they choose – whether for a second major, a minor, etc.
Many schools do charge for credit overloads, including LACs – whether they charge, and how much, depends on the school. As noted above, at a university, where there are multiple degree-granting Colleges within the University – for instance, College of Letters & Science and College of Business – to major in two different colleges, you have to meet the requirements, including general education requirements, at BOTH colleges. That may not be able to be done in 4 years. Some schools do add additional fees for students within certain Colleges, often Engineering and Business carry additional charges. Some schools also charge higher tuition for 3rd and 4th years – I think Michigan does, but I could be misremembering.
I’m really glad I asked the question now. It makes perfect sense now, but the fact that it never came up in any of college visit informational speeches made me think it was something I should already know, so I felt hesitant to ask. You guys rock!
Some schools don’t allow double majors. Some don’t recognize a minor, but instead perhaps a “concentration”. Some will print the major on the diploma, so they don’t allow two majors (which to me sounds as stupid a reason as any).
Just about all schools will have a dean or advisor who will be happy to explain how to make your undergrad years a success, as you define it. They really are all about helping students - they don’t want to hide answers or make anything harder for students. Students who double major tend to be inquisitive, self-motivated kids who will go on to future success and become donors to their alma mater. The schools may have rules, but they apply them fairly to all students. Don’t be afraid to ask.
My daughter is double majoring at an LAC and will graduate in 4 years. One of her majors is a subject she loves, so all her electives go toward it.
Generally, a double (or triple, or whatever) major won’t cost more if you can fit them in all in a regular course load in 4 years (and some kids can graduate in 3 years if coming in with AP/DE/A-Levels credits).
Remember that while majors like engineering and nursing and music and design (and their prerequisites) may take up the bulk of the classes over 4 years, typical liberal arts majors (like English or even CS through the liberal arts school) typically take up more like 30%-40% of the 4 year course load. General Ed/distribution requirements will take up a chunk of that (though many AP credits can be applied for those), but the American college system tends to allow for a lot of flexibility, so double majors typically aren’t hard to do almost anywhere if you aren’t in a “specialized” (generally pre-professional) major.
One daughter has a double major. She needed to take a couple of summer classes in order to fit in all of her requirements in 4 years. That was the only additional cost, and the total extra dollar amount was quite small. She did start off with some AP credits, but not much different than many suburban students.