{"id":16974,"date":"2026-03-24T16:18:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T22:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/?p=16974"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:14:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T21:14:31","slug":"clep-and-dsst-exams-how-to-graduate-college-early","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/clep-and-dsst-exams-how-to-graduate-college-early\/","title":{"rendered":"CLEP and DSST Exams: How to Graduate College Early\u200b"},"content":{"rendered":"

With tuition costs ever on the rise and the itch to get out of class and into life, it seems it\u2019s the question on everyone\u2019s mind lately: “Can you graduate college early?” Rest assured! It is possible to graduate early, and traditional four-year timelines are a thing of the past. Let\u2019s get into how to graduate college early, on your own terms, and with your own finances, using CLEP and DSST exams.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are CLEP and DSST Exams?<\/b><\/h2>\n

CLEP and DSST exams are similar. They both grant college credit for sufficiently passing a test. Both DSST and CLEP exam credits allow you to bypass classes with a passing grade on the exam, meaning that you can gain credits faster and cheaper than traditional college classes. A DSST exam usually costs $100, with an administration fee that varies by test center. CLEP exams usually cost around $97 per exam, with an administration fee that varies by test center. Compare that to the <\/span>average cost per credit of $406 at a university ($1,218 total for your typical 3-credit-hour class)<\/span><\/a>. That\u2019s about $ 1,118 \u2013 $1,121 in savings for a 3-credit class. Meaning, if you take these exams, you\u2019ll be the thriftiest individual in town. Here\u2019s a breakdown of the subjects offered by CLEP and DSST, along with what each test category focuses on.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

CLEP<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

\n

DSST<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Focuses on general education (Psychology, History, English)<\/span><\/td>\nFocuses on upper-level and niche subjects (Cybersecurity, Ethics, Business)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
American Government<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

American Literature<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Analyzing + Interpreting Literature<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Biology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introductory Business Law<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Calculus<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Chemistry<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

College Algebra<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

College Composition<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

College Mathematics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction to Educational Psychology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

English Literature<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Financial Accounting\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

French<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Human Growth and Development<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Humanities\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Information Systems<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introductory Psychology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introductory Sociology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Natural Sciences<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Precalculus\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Macroeconomics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Management\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Marketing<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Microeconomics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Social Sciences and History<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Spanish<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

History of the United States I<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

History of the United States II<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Western Civilization I<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Western Civilization II<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n

A History of the Vietnam War<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Art of the Western World<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Astronomy Practice Tests<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Business Ethics and Society<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Business Mathematics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Civil War and Reconstruction<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Fundamentals of College Algebra<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Computing and Information Technology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Criminal Justice\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Environmental Science<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Ethics in America\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Ethics in Technology<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Foundations of Education<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Fundamentals of Counseling<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Fundamentals of Cybersecurity<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

General Anthropology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Health and Human Development\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

History of the Soviet Union<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Human Resource Management<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction to Business<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction to Geography<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Lifespan Developmental Psychology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction to Geology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction to Law Enforcement <\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction to World Religions\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Management Information Systems<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Math for Liberal Arts <\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Money and Banking<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Organizational Behavior\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Personal Finance<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Advanced English Composition\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Finance<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Public Speaking<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Statistics\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Principles of Supervision<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Substance Abuse\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Technical Writing<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

How Much Time Can You Actually Save with CLEP and DSST Exams?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Most CLEP test credits equate to 3\u20136 credit hours\u2014the same as a full 15-week course. If you take and pass 5 or 6 DSST or CLEP test credits, you\u2019d be saving a full semester\u2019s worth of class time and tuition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Fact: How many CLEP test credits can I take? <\/b>Usually up to 30. The number of credits you can take via credit-by-exam tests varies by school. Be sure to check with your institution before taking a test to see if it will count towards your course load when passed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step-by-Step: How to Graduate One Semester Early with CLEP and DSST Exams<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Strategy:<\/b> To graduate one semester early (typically 15 credits), a student needs to pass approximately 5 exams, which you can do over the course of 5 or so months, or spread them out throughout the course of your university or high school classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rigorous Example Plan For the Go-Getters:<\/b><\/p>\n