States and school districts are using various programs and courses to introduce high school students to early college, such as dual enrollment. Here’s how to evaluate if these programs are equitable.
Photo credit: Kristan Obeng (Washington University in St. Louis)
Giving them their first taste of college level classes, in 1955, the University of Connecticut launched an experiment with seven high schools that gave 108 gifted high school students the opportunity to take college classes right on their high school campus.
The idea caught on across the country, leading to the development of programs, commonly called dual enrollment, that enable students to earn college credit at the same time they earn their high school diploma.
Initially, such programs had been available for college-bound teens from well-resourced families. But with experts now touting the ability of dual enrollment to help students shave time and money off the pursuit of a professional credential – thereby ushering them into a successful career pathway – the question of equity has become significant.
“Students who are white, come from affluent households or have a multigenerational history of college attendance are overrepresented among program participants while students who are racially minoritized, come from low-income households or are the first generation of their family to attend college are significantly underrepresented,” wrote Sharmila Mann in a 2023 analysis for Education Commission of the States. “As the nation’s student population becomes more diverse, dual enrollment participation faces a growing equity gap.”
In her doctoral dissertation, researcher Janelle Clay found that educators have to do more than simply launch a dual enrollment program to ensure that Black students participate.
Along with the structural challenges and disparities that different student populations might experience, particularly those from historically underserved and marginalized communities, covering equity in dual enrollment requires a nuanced understanding of state educational attainment and workforce development goals.
Here’s how reporters can cover equity in dual enrollment comprehensively:
Since its launch seven decades ago, dual enrollment has exploded.
In the 2022-23 academic year, about 2.5 million high school students took at least one college course, according to a first-of-its-kind report on dual enrollees that the U.S. Department of Education released in August 2024.
Education policy experts are now exploring how to incorporate college coursework in high school to support their state’s educational attainment and workforce development planning.
In 2021, the number of students transitioning from high school to college dropped by 16% at two-year colleges and 6% in four-year colleges relative to the pre-pandemic period. In 2022, two-year entry dropped even further, by 21%, while four-year entry rebounded to just 2% below 2019 levels. But even before pandemic lockdowns forced campuses into remote learning, college enrollment already had been declining.
Educators are beginning to explore whether offering credit for college classes to high school students can encourage them to pursue a postsecondary degree. Experts say dual enrollment programs can be especially helpful for under-resourced students.
“We found out those that were underrepresented or under-resourced in the past – especially if they were kids of color – actually improved greater in terms of output than any other group by comparison,” said Aaron Thompson, council president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, describing findings from an October 2024 Community College Research Center report.
Over the years, states have created programs to introduce high school students to college-level coursework under a variety of names, such as “dual enrollment,” “dual credit,” “concurrent enrollment” and “early college.”
They all provide the opportunity for students to earn college credit prior to completing high school. But the funding structure varies widely across states and programs.
“What are the dual enrollment programs in your state, and how are they funded?” Krista Kaput, a senior analyst at education policy nonprofit Bellwether, advised reporters to ask. “Every state has a different funding formula for how they fund K-12 education and how they fund higher education.”
In an April report, Kaput along with colleagues at Bellwether produced a report that examines funding for six dual enrollment programs in California, Idaho, Minnesota and Texas. The research explores how costs are distributed among states, community colleges, K-12 districts and students. The report also explores student participation rates and outcomes, offering insights into what’s working and where gaps remain.
In 2022, the Education Commission for the States produced a breakdown of who receives state funding to cover the cost of tuition and who contributes to paying for costs associated with the college education for all 50 states.
Illinois, Wisconsin and Alabama are among 19 states that don’t provide state funding for dual enrollment, according to the Education Commission for the States. California and Georgia are among states where the postsecondary institution covers the cost. In Arkansas, the student, the school district and the college cover the costs.
Here’s what to research when determining the types of dual enrollment programs available in a state or school district:
The different dual enrollment models also may impact issues of access, affordability and quality, which can influence student learning outcomes and the program’s effectiveness.
It can also affect whether economically disadvantaged students are able to participate. For example, models that require transportation to a college campus may be less accessible to students from low-income families while on-site options at the high school may help remove barriers and expand access.
Some school districts are beginning to require that all high school students earn a minimum number of dual enrollment credits to earn their high school diploma, but these requirements may not boost college enrollment if students don’t understand whether or not the credit will transfer.
“My concern is when one large district [in Wisconsin] said that every student needed to have 15 college credit hours before they graduated. If they don’t know what program they are going into, the credits may not count,” said Deanna Schultz, associate dean emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Due to variations in dual enrollment programs, data may not lend itself to routine comparisons. Journalists may find lapses in records on the student groups who participate in dual enrollment and what they do after graduating high school, Kaput said, describing the challenges she faces in her research.
After analyzing the available data and conducting case studies, Kaput and her team identified policies shared among dual enrollment programs. They used a framework prepared by the College in High School Alliance and the Level Up coalition to evaluate whether those policies supported or challenged a state’s efforts to increase access and attainment to the courses.
Journalists may pursue state survey data that explore quantitative and qualitative factors of dual enrollment policy and practice. For example, Public Policy Institute of California produced a fact sheet on dual enrollment expansion in California. In 2026, The University of Texas at Austin is set to launch a dual enrollment survey of student engagement.
Journalists can also report on incentives, such as grants to school districts for creating dual enrollment programs within their community or support offered to students who enroll. In 2022, the California Legislature passed the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Competitive Grant Program, which offers two opportunities for funding for local education agencies (LEAs) to expand dual enrollment offerings.
Evaluating equity in dual enrollment isn’t just about reporting on whether schools offer a program. It’s also about whether or not schools are providing the right support.
In her doctoral dissertation, researcher Janelle Clay found that generic school-wide outreach efforts were insufficient encouragement for Black students to participate. Her research found that to boost Black students’ participation in Georgia, educators needed to provide a supportive environment.
“Inclusive communication strategies, which emphasize peer learning and experiential opportunities, are essential to make dual enrollment more accessible to Black students,” Clay said. She earned a Ph.D. in education policy studies from Georgia State University in December 2024 and works as a senior researcher at EDC, a nonprofit that advances education, workforce development and health.
The instructors who teach dual enrollment courses are critical to ensuring academic rigor and accessibility. However, in some states, there is a shortage of qualified instructors with the credentials necessary to teach college-level courses.
For most programs, high schools partner with community colleges, public four-year institutions and other high schools to offer the courses. Some dual enrollment students can attend classes alongside college students. In others, a college instructor may come to the high school to teach the course. Alternatively, a high school teacher may receive certification to teach a college-level course on-site at the high school.
In “Sharing the Cost,” Kaput and her colleagues identified state efforts to increase the pool of qualified dual enrollment instructors.
For example, through its Pathway to 18 initiative, Minnesota supports high school teachers who are pursuing credentials to teach college-level classes.
“The states that we highlighted are investing in tuition or scholarship programs or other ways to try to help those teachers get certified to make sure that the higher education systems can sustain these programs,” Kaput said.
For many students, the cost of participating in dual enrollment can be a significant barrier. Even if tuition is covered, other costs – such as books, transportation or fees for certain programs – can create barriers for low-income students.
Some states cover tuition and textbooks. In other states, postsecondary institution scholarships may be available for students or their families to cover the costs.
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