Dual Enrollment: A Comprehensive Guide to Earning College Credit in High School

Dual enrollment (DE), also known as concurrent enrollment, provides a unique opportunity for high school students in the United States: to simultaneously enroll in two separate, academically related institutions. It allows students enrolled in secondary school to be simultaneously enrolled at a local institution of higher learning, such as a community college or university. This means high school students can take college or university courses, earning credit that may be applied toward their high school diploma and toward a college degree or certificate, if they pass their college classes.

The Origins and Evolution of Dual Enrollment

The concept of dual enrollment isn't new. It was first started in 1955 by the University of Connecticut under the direction of Provost Albert Waugh. Waugh believed that the senior year in high school wasn't challenging enough for many students, resulting in student boredom and disinterest in learning - now called senioritis.

The mid-1990s saw a movement to formalize a national accreditation body for concurrent and dual enrollment programs. In March 1997, the first national meeting of concurrent enrollment professionals was convened by Syracuse University at the American Association for Higher Education conference.

Understanding Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent enrollment is one of the different models for dual enrollment programs. Concurrent enrollment is defined as credit hours earned when a high school student is taking a college course for both high school and college credit, during the high school day, on the high school campus, taught by a qualified high school instructor. Many prominent universities started the movement of concurrent enrollment - UConn Early College Experience and Syracuse University Project Advance.

The Benefits of Dual Enrollment

Many state governments within the United States have recognized the benefit of dual enrollment and have consequently instructed their public universities to begin collaborating with local schools. Some private universities also participate. Dual enrollment can be advantageous to students because it allows them to get a head start on their college careers. In some cases, the student may even be able to attain an Associate of Arts or equivalent degree shortly before or after their high school graduation.

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Participating in dual enrollment courses may increase high school students’ understanding of colleges’ expectations of them and may also increase their confidence in their ability to navigate college courses successfully. One study found that high school students who participate in dual-enrollment courses may enter higher education with college credits. Other studies suggest that earning dual-enrollment credits increases a high school student’s preparedness to take college courses and decreases the likelihood of taking remedial courses in college by 6 percentage points.

Dual Enrollment Models

A number of different models for dual enrollment programs exist, one of which is concurrent enrollment. In the George Washington Early College Program (GWECP-AA), students at the School Without Walls Senior High School are enrolled at the George Washington University and take a full course-load at the university, along with other undergraduate students. Running Start or Expanded Options (Oregon) programs allow students to take college classes at their local community college. One of the main differences between Running Start and a regular dual enrollment program is the cost. The Running Start program makes tuition rates lower for high school students. There are some online learning platforms that allow high school students to take college classes fully online through their platform. These classes are typically asynchronous and a lower cost dual enrollment option.

The Cost Factor

Dual enrollment-like programs come with a cost, whether paid for by the student, school district or a combination of other state funded programs. Out of the fifty states in the United States, parents of students interested in the program are primarily responsible for the tuition cost in nine of those states. In Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee, the states themselves are responsible for student tuition payment and in other states like Florida, the school district is responsible for the student dual enrollment program tuition. States may choose to go into a contract with a secondary institution and may be reimbursed upon students' satisfactory grade achievement.

From a financial stand point, in the United States some aspects grant funding to both the high school and colleges per student. It can be hard, unless explicitly stated by law, to determine which institution should receive the funding. Dual enrollment courses offer a strategic approach to saving money on college and investing time in your education.

Student Experiences and Perspectives

Students further explained each theme during their interviews. Exposure referred to the general atmosphere of the college experience. Students were able to become more comfortable with being in a college setting and were more prepared for attending college once they graduated high school. “Learning the hidden curriculum” referred to students learning that college was not just about learning the material a class was teaching them. They also needed to learn study habits, how to ask professors for help, and other beneficial student practices, all of which contrast to high school experiences. A student (whose pseudonym is Carmen) noted that high school teachers tend to hold the student's hand and give them as much help as they can. This contrasts to college professors who only help students when asked to do so. “Independence and freedom” was often used by the students to describe themselves overcoming fear and maturing. Most students explained how they had much more freedom and often thought to themselves “I can do whatever I want.” These students then realized the consequences of doing whatever they felt like, and learned from their mistakes, and learned.

Potential Downsides

The students did not have only positive things to say about dual enrollment. The biggest problem brought up by students was “issues in credit and grades.” Students often lamented how their grades in college classes would affect their overall high school transcript and quite often result in a lower GPA. They were worried how it would affect their acceptance rate in other colleges later on. Poor grades in dual enrollment courses can hurt students’ chances of receiving financial aid as well as their eligibility to enroll in a four-year college or university. However, colleges also consider a student's dual enrollment classes as a demonstration that a student has taken initiative to get a head start on their college education as well as possesses the ability to handle college-level coursework. “Negative interactions with others” was described by students with how they were treated. The students felt cast out as many college students would treat them differently and would even get remarks that made them felt threatened. The dual enrollment students reflect on their past actions might have warranted such treatment as Roger says, “we weren't very mature.” The final negative theme - “limited support systems” - stems to both the college and the high school. Students described that, once enrolled in dual enrollment, their high school counsellors and other faculty seemed to work with the students less. They felt like they were no longer a part of the general group of the high school. In the college setting, where they were expected to know material from courses they may have not taken yet. The college tutoring sessions were held during times that the dual enrollment students could not make.

Faculty Perspectives

A survey taken by teachers, counselors, and principals from 35 high schools was held to learn the opinions of faculty on dual enrollment (the term concurrent enrollment was used in the study). When asked how the school was impacted, the responses were positive all around. Many of the responses focused on students being able to earn college credit and be introduced to a college atmosphere. When asked how the students were impacted, most of the responses were positive as well, except the survey item “the student considered for the first time going to college.” Many respondents were neutral with only 35% agreeing. Students were thought to have already planned to move on to college before trying dual enrollment. The faculty commented on how dual enrollment gave students the opportunity to gain college credit. Teachers focused on how the increased difficulty of college courses prepared them for later. Counselors and teachers both noticed personal gains in students as well.

Equity and Access

Although dual enrollment generally has a positive success rate in relation to college enrollment and completion, the results for low-income students and students of color displays a major difference. As a whole, college completion rates among dual enrollment students and non-dual enrollment students is higher at 22 percent as well as college enrollment rates being 34 percent higher. When looking exclusively at dual credit students of color enrollment and completion rates compared to non-dual credit the numbers show an obvious positive outcome with a 26 percent higher enrollment rate and 14 percent higher completion rate. Looking at those success rates against the success rates of other students researchers found a gap ranging from 4 to 8 percent.

While dual enrollment has numerous benefits, in many districts, access to dual-enrollment programs is not distributed equitably. Inequitable access can occur when school districts do not distribute funding equitably either among schools or within schools, or when programs have stringent requirements for participation. The costs associated with dual-enrollment programs and the potential financial contributions expected from families might be factors contributing to inequity in access. For example, a nationally representative survey of high schools in 2010 found that in 45 percent of schools, families paid all or some of the tuition for academically focused dual-enrollment courses. The cost of these courses could serve as a barrier for students from low-income backgrounds. Another barrier could come from state or local regulations on participation. Many states require students to be academically advanced (for example, to have a high grade point average or score well on an achievement test) to take a dual-enrollment course. Such requirements could mean that students with midrange grade point averages who might benefit from exposure to these courses do not have access to them.

A University of Connecticut study (2016) indicated that students in middle-income and lower-income family quartiles had higher participation rates in concurrent enrollment programs than students in higher-income family quartiles. Increase access to and equity in dual-enrollment courses for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds by removing barriers to participation and promoting enrollment. When high school students can enroll in college courses, it increases the likelihood of them enrolling in and persisting in college; however, access to such opportunities is distributed inequitably by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

State Initiatives and Policies

Some states have implemented policies and practices that show promise for increasing participation in dual-enrollment courses, but if they do not explicitly address socioeconomic and racial inequities, these initiatives could exacerbate inequitable outcomes. A descriptive study finds that when states have stronger mandates promoting dual enrollment, students are more likely to enroll in dual-enrollment courses. For example, state mandates may require high schools to tell students about dual-enrollment opportunities or require high schools to use dual-enrollment credits for high school course requirements. Still, some states with more fiscal support for dual-enrollment programs and higher rates of participation have relatively larger gaps in participation by race and ethnicity. Ensure dual-enrollment programs are of high quality. States have taken a number of approaches to address the quality of their programs, from setting requirements on content taught and pedagogical training to getting independent, third-party recognition of dual-enrollment programs for college credit. State research agendas should focus on exploring the practices and policies that are most effective at increasing access to dual-enrollment courses, and at increasing college enrollment and persistence.

States and districts can implement various practices to increase equitable participation in dual enrollment, from partnering with community colleges to reducing the barriers to participation. First, state policies should have clear, measurable equity goals for participation rates in dual enrollment among groups of different races and socioeconomic statuses. In light of recent declines in community college enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic, some seats in college courses are going unfilled. As a result, more opportunities exist to use public college resources to expand access to dual-enrollment courses to high school students from low-income backgrounds, Black and Latino students, and students who do not have parents who attended college. Community college instructors with underenrolled courses could be trained to deliver dual-enrollment courses, with support to help them employ teaching practices for high school students. Additionally, states should conduct research into which policies and practices are most effective at increasing access to dual-enrollment courses. For example, research should explore how students learn about dual-enrollment programs, the process by which they are selected to participate, and the ways those selection processes relate to the participation rates of students of different races and socioeconomic statuses.

The New York State Approach

Based on Education Law §319, the partnership agreement between the P-12 and higher education partners must establish the scope and terms of the dual enrollment program and be submitted on a form developed by NYSED. The partnership agreement form provides NYSED with an opportunity to learn about dual enrollment programs across the state, including innovative models that positively impact student outcomes. Both the P-12 and higher education partners must collaborate on the completion of the partnership agreement form. Additionally, dual enrollment programs need to submit an updated partnership agreement form to NYSED every five years. The partnership agreement form is designed to be user-friendly with primarily multiple-choice questions.

By September 1, 2026, all school districts, charter schools, and BOCES (P-12 partners) participating in a dual enrollment program must submit the partnership agreement form through the SEDMON application in the NYSED Business Portal. The partnership agreement form must be updated and resubmitted to NYSED every five years.

Institutional Partnerships

Colleges may create partnerships with schools that allow high school students to enroll in college classes or programs. Most universities have some degree of interdepartmental dual enrollment coordination. High schools might also have a partnerships with a group of colleges, such as Five Colleges (Massachusetts), Seven Sisters (Northeast), or Five Colleges of Ohio. That allows students to benefit from the collective knowledge of all universities and prevent them from duplicating unnecessary course offerings at each institution.

Undermatching

Participation in dual enrollment might also increase the likelihood of undermatching: when students who have the academic record to enroll in more selective colleges instead enroll in open-access colleges. Some descriptive evidence suggests that students in dual-enrollment programs that partner with community colleges might be more likely to enroll initially in two-year colleges rather than four-year colleges. One way to address this issue might be to ensure that students in dual-enrollment programs understand transfer pathways and are provided with opportunities to enroll in courses at four-year colleges when possible.

Quality and Rigor

The quality of the content taught and the teacher’s ability to deliver that content also influence the consistency and rigor of dual-enrollment programs. Dual-enrollment courses are generally taught either by college faculty members or by high school teachers. In recent data, 62 percent of high schools report that students take academically focused dual-enrollment courses at their high schools, in which case they would be taught by high school teachers. Teachers with more content course knowledge and pedagogical training might be more effective at teaching these courses than less prepared teachers. States have different guidelines for the courses that can be offered, the content of those courses, and the training required to teach the courses.

Additional Program Examples

Bergen Community College’s Dual Enrollment Program (DE) allows high school students to earn college credit while attending classes at their high school during the regular school day. To be eligible for enrollment, students must be currently taking a Bergen Community College Dual Enrollment course at their high school at the time of application and registration. If there is uncertainty about whether a course qualifies as dual enrollment, students should speak with their high school counselor or guidance department. Bergen Community College is committed to helping students succeed while safeguarding their privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Counselors, parents, and guardians are encouraged to support students by joining them during calls or visits. The New York Tech Advance program allows high school students to enroll in university-approved high school courses that, upon completion, award New York Institute of Technology college credit. Students who successfully complete a New York Tech Advance course and submit the requisite tuition will receive the appropriate course credit on a New York Institute of Technology transcript.

Key Considerations for Students

Commitment: Enrollment in a college course is a serious commitment. While we understand students are still in high school when participating in our program, we expect them to act and behave like college students. All college courses become a part of a student’s transcript.
Transferability: Dual enrollment students who plan to continue their college education at PCCC, will already have a transcript and do not need to transfer the college credits they earned. Students who plan to attend another college or university must arrange for a transfer of their earned credits to that college. PCCC course credits have been accepted by colleges and universities throughout the United States. However, the decision whether or not to accept credits earned elsewhere is the right of each college. Generally, colleges accept credits earned for courses in which the student has received a grade of C or better, and if the course description matches one of their own courses. Students who wish to transfer credits should have a transcript credit evaluation with a transfer counselor at the college of their choice to find out if their credits will be transferable.
Course Selection: When you're picking courses for dual enrollment, focusing on core subjects like English, math, and science is a smart move. These core courses are more widely accepted and match the general education requirements at many schools.
Time Management: Juggling high school and college courses at the same time can be tricky. Taking college-level courses through dual enrollment can be enriching, but it may also bring increased academic demands and a heavier workload. These college-level courses require more time and effort, which might make it tougher to balance with your extracurricular activities. It's important to consider whether you can manage this additional workload and how it could impact your other commitments.

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