How do college credits work? Do you get a credit everyhour or is it like, 30 for one class for one semester?

I am looking at colleges and one of the cost calculators told me to ask how many credit hours per semester. I tried just putting in 17 and then i thought you get 17 credit hours per day. There is almost an 18000 dollar difference and i just need help understanding this college credit thing. Anyone who gives me a really good answer with a reliable, checkable source will get 10 pts.|||No, one class for a semester would typically be 3 credits.|||I found this in my local college catalog I'm guessing that a credit is just how the college counts the time put into the class.





"Units of Academic Credit


The standard quantity for measurement of college work is a unit. One unit generally equals one hour of classroom lecture per week plus two hours of study. Using this formula, a class that meets in lecture three times a week for one hour will be worth three units. This college operates on the semester system and all references to units of academic credit in this catalog are to semester units. Quarter units from other colleges may be converted to semester units by decreasing the number of quarter units by one-third."|||1 credit hour = 45-60 hour of work over the semester (which includes both class time and homework time)





A 1 credit class will probably meet once a week


A 2 credit class will probably meet twice a week


A 3 credit class, 3 times a week


And so on..





Most college classes are 3 credits.





Most college students take 15 credit hours a semester on average.





A "Full time" student is anyone who is taking over 12. Some people take as much as 22, but that's a ton of work. The norm is 15. I usually took 17-18, but I was trying to cram extra stuff in.|||It's really quite easy to understand.


For example if you take Organic chemistry lets say that's a 5 hour credit class meaning at the end of the semester you will have 5 credit hours now if you take like 3 classes a semester for example organic chem at 5 credit hours, calculus at 4 credit hours, and anatomy at 3 credit hours. alright there is the 3 classes 5+4+3=12 so you would get 12 credit hours for that semester, and say you did the same for the 2nd semester 12+12=24 giving you 24 credit for the year.





hope this isn't confusing....