Colleges with Non-Traditional Academic Schedules

Most colleges follow the same academic calendar – two semesters, one over the fall and the other over spring, each consisting of approximately 18 weeks each. However, there are several colleges that have “non-traditional” college schedules, including block plans, quarters, additional semesters, and more. Here’s a look at some of these types of non-traditional schedules and some of the best colleges in the United States that have them.

What Is a “Traditional” College Schedule?

Most colleges and universities use a semester system for their academic calendar. The first semester, Fall, starts in mid-August to early September and ends in mid-December. The winter semester tends to begin in mid- to late January and ends in early to mid-May.

The semesters themselves last roughly 18 weeks, though this can vary slightly between schools. To graduate in four years with a bachelor’s degree, students should aim for 15 credit hours a semester, which translates to four or five classes.

Many schools with semester systems also offer shorter terms over the summer or in January, but a majority of students stick to the fall/winter schedule.

Types of Non-Traditional College Schedules

Not all colleges follow the traditional semester system. Instead, they use block plans, a quarter system, or something entirely different. Here are just some types you might see.

Block Plan

Academic calendars with block plans are broken up into several time blocks, or mini-terms, where the student takes a single course during that time period. They’ll spend three to five hours in that class a day.

Usually, schools have eight blocks per academic year (four per semester), and each one lasts around four to six weeks. However, they can be much shorter – it all depends on the school. Students tend to have a week off between each block.

These colleges tend to have smaller class sizes with unique off-campus and study abroad experiences. They’re ideal for students who perform well while focused on a single topic rather than four to five different courses at traditional schools.

Here are some schools that offer the block plan:

1. Cornell College
   • Location: Mount Vernon, IA
   • Enrollment: 1,073
   • Acceptance rate: 81%
   • Cornell College splits the academic year into eight blocks, with each class lasting 18 days. They have several short- and long-term study abroad opportunities.
2. Colorado College
   • Location: Colorado Springs, CO
   • Enrollment: 2,203
   • Acceptance rate: 20%
   • Block plans at Colorado College last three and a half weeks, with eight blocks a year. They also offer half blocks during winter and summer sessions. Some courses include field trips, including week-long camping trips.
3. University of Montana – Western
   • Location: Dillon, MT
   • Enrollment: 1,424
   • Acceptance rate: 99%
   • The University of Montana – Western calls their block plan “Experience One.” With eight blocks per academic year, students study one topic over an 18 day period.
4. Spalding University
   • Location: Louisville, KY
   • Enrollment: 1,532
   • Acceptance rate: 98.9%
   • Spalding University also offers a block schedule, but instead of taking a single class, students take two or three for an eight-week period. However, students are invited to take more if they’d like.

Quarters

With the quarter system, an academic year is broken up into four 10-week terms in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. Summer is often optional, but students can elect to take courses during this season to graduate faster.

Compared to semesters, the quarter system allows students to cover more material in an academic year, with three to five classes every quarter.

A few schools that offer this non-traditional schedule include:

1. California Institute of Technology
   • Location: Pasadena, CA
   • Enrollment: 2,401
   • Acceptance rate: 3.3%
   • Students at Caltech attend 10-week terms, with around 45 units per term. A course that has three hours of class time is a nine-unit class, so students take about 5 classes each term.
2. Dartmouth College
   • Location: Hanover, NH
   • Enrollment: 6,744
   • Acceptance rate: 6.3%
   • Dartmouth College has the D-Plan, which has slightly more flexibility than other quarter plans. Students get to choose when they take their classes and breaks, with more flexibility for internship programs.
3. Northwestern University
   • Location: Evanston, IL
   • Enrollment: 23,161
   • Acceptance rate: 7%
   • Northwestern University’s quarters last 10 weeks, with breaks in winter, spring, and summer. Fall courses start in late September, and spring classes end in mid-June.
4. Stanford University
   • Location: Stanford, CA
   • Enrollment: 18,283
   • Acceptance rate: 4%
   • At Stanford University, students should attend all of the courses they’re interested in taking the first week of the quarter. Then, they can select the classes they’d like to focus on during that quarter by the end of week three (a minimum of 12 units).

Trimester

A trimester system is similar to a quarter system, with students taking courses during fall, winter, and spring terms. However, with a trimester system, there’s usually no summer term, but this varies. Depending on the school, a trimester can last between eight to 12 weeks and students take between three and five classes per term.

Here are a few schools in the United States that offer trimesters:

1. Knox College
   • Location: Galesburg, IL
   • Enrollment: 1,058
   • Acceptance rate: 71%
   • Knox College runs on a 3-by-3 schedule, which means students take three classes per 10-week trimester. Students have over a month and a half off between the fall and winter terms, and Knox offers a summer term.
2. Alma College
   • Location: Alma, MI
   • Enrollment: 1,260
   • Acceptance rate: 66%
   • A trimester at Alma College is similar in length to a semester – each fall and winter trimester lasts 14 weeks. The spring term in May is four weeks, which students can use for classes or other opportunities, such as research or travel.
3. Elmira College
   • Location: Elmira, NY
   • Enrollment: 657
   • Acceptance rate: 91%
   • The fall trimester at Elmira College starts early September, with the spring term ending in mid-May. The school also offers six-week terms, where students can study abroad or take specific courses.
4. Franklin University
   • Location: Columbus, OH
   • Enrollment: 8,044
   • Acceptance rate: Not Listed
   • Franklin University breaks up the academic year into fall, winter, and spring courses. Students are also invited to cross-register (with limitations) at select schools, including The Columbus College of Art and Design, The Ohio State University, and DeVry University.

Is a Non-Traditional Schedule Right For You?

Whether a non-traditional schedule is right for you comes down to personal preferences and the individual school.

For example, even though a college offers a quarter system, it doesn’t mean they’re going to follow the exact same schedule as another school that has a quarter system. Colleges and universities differ on term length, the number of courses a student has to take per term, and the time spent in classes each day.

It’s important to look at each school individually while considering your strengths, interests, weaknesses. Ask yourself questions, such as:

• Would you excel in a fast-paced 10-week quarter over a 15-week semester?
• Do you get your best grades when you’re immersed in a single subject?
• Would a six-hour class be too much for you to handle in a single day?
• How many hours of homework would you be expected to complete each week?

Answering these questions and others can help you compare your options.

If you have any questions about the school’s expectations, the academic calendar, or whether it’s right for you, you can absolutely reach out to the college, talk to current students online, or even visit the campus before applying to get clarification.

Some college students excel in non-traditional academic schedules, such as block, quarters, or trimesters, which generally focus on shorter terms with faster coverage of the subject matter. However, others perform better at a traditional semester school, where classroom time is shorter per day, stretched over a longer period of time, and the student takes more courses per term. Determining which type is right for you is a completely personal decision. Think about how you produce the best results before deciding.

Want to explore these and other colleges and universities with non-traditional schedules? College Match can give you insight into the best schools for you, your acceptance chances, financial information, and more. Get started here for free!