How many credits should you take at CUNY each semester?

The numbers to know

• A bachelor's degree is generally 120 credits. Taking 15 credits a semester for eight semesters gets you there in four years.
• Twelve credits is the usual full-time threshold. Financial aid programs often look at it, so confirm the exact requirement for your own aid with the financial aid office before you drop below it.
• Twelve credits a semester alone adds up to 96 credits in four years, which means summer or winter classes, or extra semesters, to finish.

Choosing between 12 and 15

If you work many hours, commute a long way, or take several lab or writing-heavy courses at once, a lighter load with strong grades usually beats a full load with a bad semester. If you are on track and have room in your schedule, 15 keeps graduation on time without summers.

Count courses, not only credits. Four 4-credit science courses are a very different week from five 3-credit electives.

Spread the hard classes out

A common mistake is stacking every demanding course in one term. Pair each difficult course with one that is lighter, and check the professor's difficulty rating before you commit. ChillSemester scores a schedule from 1 to 5 for stress, using the professors' ratings, early classes, gaps and commute, so you can compare a 12-credit and a 15-credit version of the same semester.

Check with an advisor

Course load rules, aid requirements and your degree plan differ by college and by program. Use your Degree Works audit to see what you still need, and talk to an advisor before you drop below full-time.