Reconsidering the Duration of Undergraduate Studies: A Meta-Synthesis Based on International Evidence (2000–2025)

The duration of undergraduate education—whether structured as three-year or four-year programs—has become a major issue in global higher education reform. While Western Europe and Australia have increasingly adopted three-year bachelor’s degrees as part of the Bologna process and competency-based education models, systems in North America and parts of Asia, including Iran, continue to follow the traditional four-year framework. Despite extensive policy debates, the perspectives of students—the primary stakeholders of higher education—remain largely overlooked.
This study aims to synthesize international research that captures students’ lived experiences, perceptions, and attitudes toward shorter undergraduate programs, with the goal of providing policy-relevant insights for the Iranian higher education system. Using the meta-synthesis method (Sandelowski & Barroso, 2007), 22 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025 were analyzed. Thematic coding and synthesis were conducted using MaxQDA 2024, resulting in seven major themes that reflect the multidimensional implications of program duration on students’ academic, personal, and institutional experiences.
Findings reveal that while students recognize the economic and time-saving benefits of shorter degrees, they also report concerns regarding educational quality, personal development, and institutional fairness. The study concludes that any reform toward shortening undergraduate study in Iran should prioritize student participation, contextual adaptation, and educational quality assurance over mere temporal efficiency.