6 Ways to Earn College Credit for Life and Work Experience

College is expensive — almost $20,000 on average per year. And that doesn’t even account for opportunity cost if you have to stop working to enroll in your program.

But what if you could lower your college price tag by earning credits before you even start? Depending on your previous life experience, it is, in fact, possible to shave off several semesters from your total time-to-degree, saving you thousands on tuition.

Many schools offer the option to earn college credit by demonstrating equivalent professional experience or proving your competency through an exam or portfolio. Here are six ways you could cash in on this alternative credit pathway.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Military service members may be able to earn college credit based on their work experience, training, and courses taken while in the military. Service members need to request their Joint Services Transcript, which will list official college credit recommendations made by the American Council on Education (ACE) based on their service record.

Those with law enforcement experience may be able to earn credit toward a criminal justice degree from police academy courses completed during their training.

Students may be able to earn as many as 30 or more credits this way, saving a significant amount of time and money toward their bachelor’s degree.

Another way to gain credit for life and work experience is to prove your knowledge by taking a nationally recognized test. These testing programs are known as prior learning assessments, and many colleges will award you credit if you achieve a passing score.

Two of the most popular options are the College Level Exam Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). These exam programs offer tests in dozens of different subject areas. For each test you pass, you have the opportunity to earn college credit. If you pass several of the tests, you could end up earning quite a few credits toward your degree.

If you work for a big company, you may be in luck — many businesses offer professional development opportunities that could end up earning you college credit. Some workplace training and courses have been evaluated by ACE and come with recommendations for credit equivalencies.

You can find out more about which specific training programs have been evaluated for academic credit by searching the ACE National Guide.

Professional licenses, certifications, and other credentials may also win you college credit. The ACE National Guide is the place to check to see if your specific certification will translate into college credit.

For example, five certifications from the National Healthcareer Association are eligible for earning credit at colleges that recognize ACE credit recommendations, including certification for medical assistants that can earn you five credits.

Purdue Global will award credits for a large number of IT certifications if the certification was earned within the last three years.

With competency-based education, students are able to move at their own pace through course material and take assessments whenever they are ready.

Some competency-based systems may allow you to test out of a class altogether, awarding credit based on demonstrated knowledge rather than the number of classroom hours.

If you’re building on previous work experience, you may be able to progress much more quickly through a competency-based program than through a traditional pathway. Many competency-based programs are delivered online, like the ones at the University of Wisconsin, making them even more flexible.

If you have significant professional experience that doesn’t seem to line up with any of the previously mentioned pathways to earning college credit, a portfolio of materials demonstrating your breadth of knowledge may be another route you can take.

Schools that offer this option may have a team of evaluators assess your portfolio and determine how many credits should be awarded. There may be a fee associated with the evaluation.

For example, Pennsylvania State University offers students the option to submit multiple course-specific portfolios demonstrating equivalent experience in the subject area for a fee of $390. Students can earn three credits for each course that they submit a portfolio for.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed March 21, 2024.