Dual Enrollment of High School Students at Postsecondary Institutions

• Eighty-nine percent of institutions said that the curriculum of the college-level courses
taken by high school students as part of their dual enrollment programs was the same as
for regular college students, compared to 3 percent of institutions that said that the
curriculum was specially designed for high school students, and 8 percent that said it
varied (table 8). 8
Credit Award
Institutions were asked about when high school students were generally awarded college
credit for courses taken, and whether they earned credit at the high school level for courses taken.
• Ninety-four percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs awarded college credit
for courses immediately after course completion, compared to 3 percent that awarded
credit upon enrollment of students at their institutions and another 3 percent that
awarded credit in some other way (table 9). 9
• Fifty-nine percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs indicated that credit for
college courses was earned at both the high school and college level, compared to
6 percent where credit was earned at the college level only, and 21 percent where it
varied (table 10). 10 Fourteen percent of institutions did not know whether credit was
earned at the high school level.
• A greater percentage of respondents at private 4-year institutions than at public 2-year
and public 4-year institutions did not know whether credit for courses was earned at the
high school level (25 percent versus 9 and 14 percent, respectively) (table 10).
Academic Eligibility Requirements
Institutions with dual enrollment programs were asked a series of questions pertaining to
academic eligibility requirements for high school students to participate in the dual enrollment programs.
Institutions were asked whether they had academic eligibility requirements, what were the requirements,
and whether their academic eligibility requirements were the same or different than their institutions’
admissions standards for regular college students. In addition, institutions were asked to identify the grade
levels at which high school students were eligible to take courses in dual enrollment programs.
8 “It varied” could mean that the curriculum varied within a single program (e.g., was the same as for regular college students for some courses,
but different for others), or else that the curriculum varied across multiple programs within an institution (i.e., was the same as for regular
college students in one program, but specially designed for high school students in another program).
9 Of the roughly 20 “other ways” cited by respondents, about half noted that credits were awarded after high school graduation. The remaining
responses varied.
10 The “it varied” response could indicate that credit was earned in various ways within a single program, or else that credit was earned in
different ways across multiple programs within an institution.
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