Early College Programs: Weighing the Pros and Cons

Early college programs are designed to allow students to simultaneously work toward both a high school diploma and an associate degree or other college credential, at no cost, through an organized course of study. These programs, which are partnerships between a local educational agency and at least one higher education institution, allow students to earn "no less than 12 credits" that are transferrable to the college or university partner. While graduating early is generally considered to be a positive thing, it doesn’t come without hard work and determination.

What is Early College?

Early college programs are schools designed to allow students to simultaneously work toward both a high school diploma and an associate degree or other college credential, at no cost, through an organized course of study. Federal law specifies that students at these schools, which are partnerships between a local educational agency and at least one higher education institution, earn "no less than 12 credits" that are transferrable to the college or university partner.

Unlike dual enrollment programs, early college high schools generally also provide additional support services to students, and intentionally recruit students who are underrepresented in higher education. Early college dates back to at least 1966, when Bard College at Simon's Rock, a private college that admits students after 10th or 11th grade, was founded.

The current model took off relatively recently, after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched its Early College High School Initiative in 2002. This initiative promoted the development of public early college high schools throughout the country, placing particular emphasis on their potential to make a college education more accessible to students of color and those from low-income backgrounds. Programs that were launched through the initiative generally offer many more college credits than the federal definition requires, allowing students the opportunity to earn an associate degree.

While some states, like Texas and Indiana, strictly regulate which programs qualify as early colleges, others allow the term to be used more loosely, so it's important to do your research to determine what services a particular school provides.

Early College vs. Dual Enrollment

In dual enrollment, high school students take a handful of college classes online or at a local college, in addition to their high school course load. In early college, on the other hand, these classes are a part of their high school curriculum, adapted to create a more supportive environment for adolescents. “[Early colleges] are defined by providing a college curriculum that’s really built specifically for adolescent learners,” says Stephen Tremaine, executive director at Bard Early College, a network of early college high schools across the country run by Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson in New York. “Rather than bringing a high school student to a college campus to take the class, this is bringing college to the high school space to provide an extended course of study.”

“What distinguishes early colleges is the support that students receive while they're taking college courses: academic support, social support, support in the college application process, and so on,” Zeiser says. Students learn the same content as they would in college, with some adaptations. “Rather than saying, ‘We're going to read all of ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ this week, sink or swim,’ we would say, ‘We're all going to read chapter three and there are going to be additional office hours in the writing center around what's going on in that chapter after school,’ ” Tremaine says.

Moreover, these programs also tend to offer students help with the college application process when it comes time to move on to a four-year university. This is particularly helpful for first-generation college students whose families may not be able to assist them as effectively, says Alex Perry, coordinator of the College in High School Alliance.

Benefits of Early College Programs

Early college programs usually allow students to earn about 60 college credits by the time they’ve completed their high school program. Although traditional high school students may also earn a lot of college credit by taking AP or International Baccalaureate courses, these don’t add up to an associate degree. And Perry notes that every university has its own policies on how AP or IB credits transfer, while credit earned at an early college program transfers more seamlessly.

Academic Advantages

Students who matriculate into a four-year university after completing high school through an early college program have the option to enter as transfer students or as completely new first-year students. Not all students at early colleges will graduate with an associate degree. But Tremaine says 97% of the students who graduated from Bard Early College in 2022 finished high school with at least a year’s worth of college credit.

“[Early colleges] are defined by providing a college curriculum that’s really built specifically for adolescent learners,” says Stephen Tremaine, executive director at Bard Early College, a network of early college high schools across the country run by Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson in New York. “Rather than bringing a high school student to a college campus to take the class, this is bringing college to the high school space to provide an extended course of study.” Tremaine says programs like this help ease the transition into college. This is especially true for students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education, who he says tend to struggle the most with this transition.

“A student who earned that full year of credit … is at an incredible advantage relative to a student who went through traditional high school,” Tremaine says.

AIR's research shows that the impact of Early Colleges on student outcomes has been consistently positive, and that Early Colleges equally benefit all students-regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, or family income-not just economically disadvantaged students or students traditionally underrepresented in higher education. The 2002-2009 Descriptive Study of the Early College High School Initiative found that, in high school, Early College students earned an average of 23 college credits by the time they graduated, and 88 percent of graduates had enrolled in college the fall after graduation.

Financial Savings

Because students who attend these programs graduate with a significant number of college credits, they’re able to drastically lower the cost of attending a four-year university. “The cost is such a benefit to students, particularly the traditionally underserved students,” Zeiser says. "That's two years of college credits that are either free or at minimal cost to them and their families.” Moreover, the return on investment for early colleges is evident. Zeiser and her team's research have shown that these programs have a "substantial positive impact" on college enrollment and degree completion.

While AIR reports that early colleges cost school districts about $3,800 more per student each year than traditional high schools, Zeiser says students and their families typically do not pay much, if at all, for these programs, since they're largely centered on making higher education more accessible to underrepresented students. Moreover, the AIR report notes that students who graduate from these programs are projected to earn nearly $34,000 more over the course of their lifetime.

Increased Engagement

The researchers looked at “indicators of engagement,” like attendance, challenge, work perseverance, and schoolwork engagement. From their analysis, the early college model made a difference on almost every indicator of engagement besides students’ work perseverance. “… the acceleration that they received was not counter-balanced by a negative impact on their preparation,” she wrote. “There was also a positive impact, however, on attainment of four-year degrees, which occurred after students left the early college. This suggests that the early college might be providing students with other benefits-beyond increased academic skills-that are influencing students’ likelihood of getting a degree. One possible explanation is that the number of college credits a student receives serves as a form of momentum to accomplish their degree.

Postsecondary Success

Edmunds and her team also found early college makes a difference when it comes to enrollment in postsecondary education. The same positive impact is true for attainment of a postsecondary credential, either while in high school or afterwards. Findings on postsecondary attainment and success while in college are still coming in as students from the cohort get older.

Potential Drawbacks and Considerations

Despite the numerous advantages, early college programs may not be suitable for all students.

Workload and Academic Rigor

You’ll be taking on a higher workload. The required commitment and discipline from students makes it easy to get overwhelmed. Students need top notch time management, productivity, and organizational skills. You have less time for academic rigor. You could spend more. If your high school offers AP and dual credit courses, you could miss out on the opportunity to earn free or discounted college credits if you graduate early.

Social and Emotional Development

Your school years are when you build some of the strongest friendships you’ll ever have, so it makes sense if you are wondering how leaving school before your friends will affect your social life. After Graduation: Once you graduate, you'll move on from your peers. Don’t worry too much-You can navigate changes in your relationships by being more intentional with your friends. You won’t have built-in activities, so you’ll need to schedule time to hang out with them outside of school.

Graduating from high school can be challenging socially. When you aren’t around your peers for six hours a day, you can begin to feel isolated. While it may seem scary at first, this is fertile soil for new friendships. There is a lot to learn from people who are older than you. Graduation, whether it’s early or on-time, often has an impact on mental health. Graduates can lose their routine, they may not see their friends as often, and their lives can start to change significantly.

You’ll miss out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Senior year, especially the second half, is full of exciting events. You’ll miss out on senior prom, grad nights, and graduation parties. You’ll be entering adulthood earlier. We’re all in a rush to grow up - until we’re not. You might regret leaving home and high school early later.

Workforce Limitations

You may be limited on work options. If you’re under 18 years old, your state could restrict how much and where you’re allowed to work. Depending on how old you are when you graduate, you may not be able to start working full time right away due to child labor laws. If you are younger than 16, you won’t be able to work full-time hours, and if you’re under 18, there are certain jobs that you can’t work due to the risk. Additionally, starting work earlier means you’ll have some new responsibilities, like paying taxes and managing expenses such as transportation and work clothes.

Long-Term Impact

Study findings revealed that initial impacts on bachelor’s degree attainment and advanced degree attainment were no longer significant 10 years after expected high school graduation. The study also found that differences in associate degree attainment remained large and significant, with approximately 30% of Early College students and 12% of students in the comparison group earning an associate degree within 10 years after expected high school graduation. Despite this positive impact on overall degree attainment, we did not observe significant Early College impacts on students’ workforce, financial, or other life outcomes.

Is Early College Right for You?

Consider your goals for your future before making a decision, and speak with your school counselor to determine whether early graduation aligns with your goals. It may be a good opportunity for you.

Factors to Consider:

Academic Preparedness: Some students are academically ahead of their peers and are able to get through their coursework quickly. Others are in an alternative program that allows them to work faster than their peers.
Personal Goals: Finishing high school early can help you start working towards a career sooner. You will have your diploma before most people your age, so you can apply for jobs that need a high school diploma earlier.
Mental Health: Know what resources are available: If you’re heading to college, check to see what mental health resources are available on campus. Seek help when you need it: If you’re feeling down, there is no shame in reaching out to someone who can help. Start focusing on your mental health now, even if you don’t think it’s an issue. Building healthy habits and a support system while you are in a good headspace will help you when you are struggling with something like anxiety or depression.
Social Readiness: Graduating early is also an act of personal growth and development itself. It can provide you with an amazing sense of accomplishment and prove to yourself that you can do hard things.

How to Graduate Early

If you’re aiming to graduate high school early, your first step should always be to talk to your guidance counselor or academic advisor, as this isn’t something you can just decide to do on your own. However, go into this meeting prepared. Your counselor will ask why you want to graduate early, your plans, and more - they want to make sure you won’t be overwhelmed by the added coursework. Keep in mind that your advisor has the final say. If they believe you won’t be able to complete the courses in time or handle the higher workload, they could deny your request.

You may be able to take additional classes at your traditional high school, but you can also explore other options, such as online courses.

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