Credits Needed to Graduate Calculator
How many credits remain for your degree, the credits per semester to finish on time, your graduation term at your current pace, with transfer credits, summer terms, quarters and tuition for the rest of the degree.
How it works
Remaining = required − completed − in progress − transfer · Per semester = (remaining − summer credits in the plan) ÷ semesters left · Semesters at your pace = ⌈remaining ÷ usual credits⌉ (summers reduce it) · Extra needed = remaining − summer credits − maximum × semesters left
A US bachelor’s degree is typically 120 credits (15 per semester over eight semesters); many students drift to 12 and need a ninth or tenth term. The calculator subtracts what you have finished, what you are taking now and any accepted transfer, AP or CLEP credits from the degree total. It then spreads the rest over the semesters you want to finish in, less any summer credits you plan to take, and compares the result with your school’s per-semester maximum. Separately it plays your usual load forward term by term, using today’s date to name each term, so you can see the term you would actually graduate and how many semesters 12, 15 or 18 credits a term would take. Quarter-system schools can switch the calendar to quarters. An optional tuition-per-credit figure prices the credits you still need. Confirm that the remaining credits also satisfy major and general-education requirements — credits alone are not enough.
Worked example
120 required, 54 done and 15 in progress leaves 120 − 54 − 15 = 51 credits. Over four semesters that is 51 ÷ 4 = 12.75 a semester, within an 18-credit cap. At a usual 15 credits you need ⌈51 ÷ 15⌉ = 4 semesters; in October 2026 (fall in progress) that is Spring 2027, Fall 2027, Spring 2028 and Fall 2028, with only 6 credits in the last term. Adding 6 summer credits a year would leave (51 − 6 − 6 − 6) ÷ 4 = 8.25 credits a semester over the same four semesters.
Frequently asked questions
Do failed courses count?
No — only earned credits count toward the total, though attempted credits may affect financial-aid pace rules (often you must pass about two-thirds of what you attempt).
What about transfer or AP credits?
If the registrar has already posted them, they are in your completed credits. If they are accepted but not yet on your record, enter them under transfer, AP or CLEP credits in More options so they are not counted twice.
How many credits a semester is full time?
For most undergraduate programs 12 credits a semester is full time, but 15 is what it takes to finish 120 credits in four years. The calculator warns when your plan drops below 12, since part-time status can affect aid and scholarships.
How do summer classes change the plan?
Turn on summer classes and enter the credits you would take each summer. Those credits come off the total before the rest is divided by your semesters, and the term-by-term plan adds a summer term after each spring.
Can I use this with quarters?
Yes. Switch the calendar to quarters in More options and enter quarter credits throughout: fall, winter and spring become the regular terms, and a bachelor’s usually needs about 180 quarter credits.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.