Decreasing state aid to Washington’s universities and the corresponding tuition increases have put a premium on earning diplomas as quickly as possible. It’s simple math. Getting a bachelor’s degree in three years instead of four cuts costs by 25 percent. Actually, it’s more than that since tuition climbs inexorably, making that final year the most expensive.

Some highly motivated students already obtain their degrees in three years, with the help of summer school and Running Start programs that allow them to earn college credits while still in high school. The Husky Advantage program at the University of Washington allows for three-year degrees as long as the incoming students already have 45 college credits.

A bill in Olympia would direct state universities to expand opportunities for more three-year degrees by redesigning curricula and making required courses in a student’s major available in the first year. This would make it possible to obtain a three-year degree without such a heavy reliance on Running Start and summer school. To make three-year programs work, universities would have to ensure that the accelerated students could get their required courses. Plans would have to be submitted to the Higher Education Coordinating Board for approval.

The key to this strategy is to not water down requirements for a bachelor’s degree, but to identify students with the intelligence, maturity and drive to handle a compressed schedule. Some students are highly motivated to get into the job market. A three-year plan is a better fit.

The importance of getting students to a college degree as efficiently as possible has multiple advantages. It frees up space for other students. It lowers the cost per student for the state, and it saves students and their parents a lot of money.

The most recent survey from the U.S. Department of Education shows that 4.2 percent of U.S. undergraduates got bachelor’s degrees in three years. Meanwhile, 57.3 percent graduated in six years and 38.5 percent took four years to graduate. These trends are reflected in Washington state, where tuition increases have caused students to interrupt full-time attendance to take jobs.

Expanding three-year degrees would be a victory for students, parents and universities. This is a smart bill that ought to sail through the Legislature.