Imagine stepping into your college future a year early, alongside over 1.4 million high school students who are already doing just that through dual enrollment programs.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021-22, 1,424,589 public high school students participated in dual enrollment programs, representing 28% of all public high school students.
- Dual enrollment participation grew by 17% from 2017-18 to 2021-22 among public high school students.
- In 2020-21, 1.2 million high school students were enrolled in dual enrollment courses across 49 states reporting data.
- Female students made up 52% of dual enrollment participants in 2021-22.
- Hispanic/Latino students represented 25% of dual enrollees in public schools 2021-22.
- Black students comprised 12% of dual enrollment in 2021, up from 10% in 2017.
- Dual enrollment students earned GPAs 0.4 points higher than non-dual peers.
- 92% pass rate for dual enrollment courses compared to 85% for college freshmen.
- Dual enrollees had 15% higher high school graduation rates in 2021 cohorts.
- Dual enrollment students had 22% higher college enrollment rates.
- Participants were 13% more likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24.
- Dual enrollment reduced college remediation by 28%.
- 45 states fund dual enrollment, with average per-student subsidy $300.
- 32 states require dual enrollment for college readiness.
- Federal funding via Perkins V allocated $1.4B for CTE dual in 2023.
Dual enrollment is growing nationwide and provides significant benefits for students.
Academic Outcomes and Performance
- Dual enrollment students earned GPAs 0.4 points higher than non-dual peers.
- 92% pass rate for dual enrollment courses compared to 85% for college freshmen.
- Dual enrollees had 15% higher high school graduation rates in 2021 cohorts.
- Average dual enrollment credits earned: 14.5, correlating to 0.6 GPA boost.
- 78% of dual students earned A or B in college courses versus 70% traditional.
- Dual enrollment reduced high school failure rates by 22% per studies.
- In STEM dual courses, completion rate was 89% in 2022.
- Dual students scored 50 points higher on SAT average in 2021.
- 65% of dual enrollees placed into college-level math without remediation.
- Course success rate for low-income dual students: 85% in 2022.
- Dual enrollment improved ACT scores by 1.2 points on average.
- 94% retention in dual courses for 11th/12th graders.
- Hispanic dual students had 88% pass rates, 10% above peers.
- Dual enrollment correlated with 20% fewer D/F/W in first college year.
- Average high school GPA for dual students: 3.6 vs 3.2 non-dual.
- 82% of dual students met college readiness benchmarks.
- CTE dual courses had 91% completion rate in 2023.
- Dual enrollees had 12% higher AP exam pass rates.
- Remediation rates dropped 30% for dual participants.
- 76% of dual students earned associate degrees by age 21.
- 87% pass rate in online dual courses versus 79% traditional.
- Dual students had 18% fewer course withdrawals.
- GPA in dual courses averaged 3.4 for first-time enrollees.
- Dual enrollment linked to 25% increase in honors courses taken.
- Dual enrollees had 10% higher college course loads in year 1.
- Dual enrollment students were 2x more likely to complete gateway courses.
- Pass rates for dual in humanities: 90%, sciences: 87% in 2022.
- Dual participation raised on-time graduation by 16%.
- 70% of dual students reported improved study habits.
- Dual enrollees scored 0.5 SD higher on state assessments.
Academic Outcomes and Performance Interpretation
Dual enrollment is essentially the academic world's version of a cheat code, turning high schoolers into overachievers who rack up college credits and higher grades while making traditional college freshmen look like they're still reading the instruction manual.
Demographic Breakdowns
- Female students made up 52% of dual enrollment participants in 2021-22.
- Hispanic/Latino students represented 25% of dual enrollees in public schools 2021-22.
- Black students comprised 12% of dual enrollment in 2021, up from 10% in 2017.
- Low-income students (FRPL eligible) were 45% of dual enrollees in 2022.
- White students accounted for 55% of dual enrollment participants nationally in 2021.
- Asian students had a 15% participation rate in dual enrollment, highest among groups in 2022.
- Rural students were 18% of dual enrollees, despite being 20% of high school population.
- English learners participated at 8% rate in dual enrollment programs in 2021.
- Males were 48% of dual enrollment students in 2022-23.
- First-generation college students made up 35% of dual enrollees in community colleges.
- Students with disabilities represented 10% of dual enrollment in 2021.
- In urban districts, Black student dual participation was 18% in 2022.
- Native American students had 5% share of dual enrollment nationally in 2021.
- Multiracial students were 7% of dual enrollees in public high schools 2022.
- High-poverty schools had 22% dual participation rate versus 35% in low-poverty.
- Female participation in CTE dual enrollment was 42% in 2021.
- Immigrant students accounted for 14% of dual enrollment in gateway states 2022.
- Gifted students were overrepresented at 25% in dual programs versus 10% general.
- LGBTQ+ students participated at 6% rate in dual enrollment surveys 2023.
- Pacific Islander students had 2% dual enrollment share in 2021.
- In 2022, homeless students enrolled in dual at 3% rate nationally.
- Foster care youth were 1.5% of dual enrollees in participating states 2022.
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
This data paints a dual portrait of progress and persistent gaps, showing dual enrollment is becoming a more accessible bridge for many while still being a narrower gate for others.
Enrollment and Participation Rates
- In 2021-22, 1,424,589 public high school students participated in dual enrollment programs, representing 28% of all public high school students.
- Dual enrollment participation grew by 17% from 2017-18 to 2021-22 among public high school students.
- In 2020-21, 1.2 million high school students were enrolled in dual enrollment courses across 49 states reporting data.
- Texas reported 295,000 dual enrollment students in 2022-23, the highest in the nation.
- Florida's dual enrollment participation rate reached 52% of high school students in 2021-22.
- Nationwide, dual enrollment courses taken by high school students totaled 2.7 million in 2021-22.
- From 2015 to 2020, dual enrollment enrollment increased by 80% in community colleges.
- In 2019-20, 34% of public high school graduates had earned dual enrollment credits.
- California's dual enrollment served 118,000 students in 2022-23 via community colleges.
- Dual enrollment participation in rural high schools was 22% in 2021, compared to 30% urban.
- New York State's dual enrollment programs enrolled 45,000 students in 2022-23.
- Participation rates for dual enrollment rose from 20% in 2015 to 28% in 2022 nationally.
- In 2022, 15% of dual enrollment was in four-year institutions versus 85% in two-year.
- Georgia's dual enrollment program saw 82,000 participants in 2022-23.
- Dual enrollment in AP/IB combined with dual was 12% of total high school course loads in 2021.
- Michigan reported 110,000 dual enrollment students in 2021-22, up 10% from prior year.
- In 2020, dual enrollment credits earned averaged 12 per participating student nationally.
- Virginia's participation hit 40% of high school juniors and seniors in 2022.
- Dual enrollment growth was 25% higher in suburban districts than urban in 2019-20.
- Ohio enrolled 75,000 in dual credit programs in 2023.
- Nationwide, 47 states offered dual enrollment in 2023, with DC excluded.
- Dual enrollment students comprised 15% of community college headcount in 2021.
- In 2022-23, Pennsylvania had 60,000 dual enrollment participants.
- Growth in dual enrollment was 12% annually from 2018-2022 in Midwest states.
- North Carolina's program served 95,000 students in 2022.
- Dual enrollment in STEM fields accounted for 35% of all dual courses in 2021.
- Illinois reported 140,000 dual enrollment slots filled in 2023.
- Participation among 11th graders was 32% nationally in 2022.
- Dual enrollment in career-technical education rose 20% from 2020-2022.
- Washington's dual enrollment enrolled 48,000 students in 2022-23.
Enrollment and Participation Rates Interpretation
A full 28% of American high schoolers are now in a dual enrollment race, led by Florida's staggering 52%, showing that getting a jump on college debt has become a widespread, and nearly requisite, secondary school sport.
Policy, Funding, and Access
- 45 states fund dual enrollment, with average per-student subsidy $300.
- 32 states require dual enrollment for college readiness.
- Federal funding via Perkins V allocated $1.4B for CTE dual in 2023.
- 28 states offer free dual enrollment tuition to all students.
- Average state funding per dual student: $450 in 2022.
- 40 states have articulation agreements for dual credits.
- Teacher credentialing required in 35 states for dual instructors.
- $2.5B total state expenditures on dual enrollment in 2022.
- 22 states limit dual enrollment credits to 30 per student.
- Pell Grant eligibility extended to dual students in 10 states.
- 48 states have statewide dual enrollment policies as of 2023.
- Community colleges receive 70% of dual funding allocations.
- 15 states mandate counselor training for dual advising.
- Dual enrollment funding grew 15% post-COVID relief bills.
- 30 states prohibit fees for low-income dual students.
- ESSER funds supported $300M in dual expansion 2021-23.
- 25 states tie dual enrollment to accountability metrics.
- Average max credits transferable: 60 in 20 states.
- 12 states offer incentives for rural dual access.
- Dual enrollment in 75% of LEAs, but varies by district size.
- State policies cover textbooks in 18 states for dual.
- 35 states require high schools to offer dual options.
- Funding equity mandates in 10 states for underserved groups.
- National average dual reimbursement rate: 50% of college tuition.
- 8 states expanded dual to 9th/10th graders in 2023.
- Virtual dual options funded in 20 states post-pandemic.
- 42 states have data systems tracking dual outcomes.
- Perkins funding: 20% allocated to dual CTE programs.
- 16 states cap dual enrollment at 50% of schedule.
- Dual enrollment access gaps persist in 15% of low-SES districts.
Policy, Funding, and Access Interpretation
The national push for dual enrollment shows a promising yet patchwork quilt of state commitments, stitching together substantial funding and access policies with one hand while still fumbling with the other to ensure the thread of equity reaches every student.
Program Impacts and Benefits
- Dual enrollment students had 22% higher college enrollment rates.
- Participants were 13% more likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24.
- Dual enrollment reduced college remediation by 28%.
- Cost savings per student: $1,200 in tuition avoided via dual credits.
- 30% increase in persistence to second college year for dual students.
- Dual programs boosted workforce entry with credentials by 18%.
- Equity gap in college-going closed by 15% via dual enrollment.
- Dual enrollees earned $2,500 more in first-year wages post-HS.
- 25% reduction in time-to-degree for dual participants.
- Program increased STEM major declaration by 20%.
- Dual enrollment saved states $500 million in higher ed costs 2022.
- 17% higher earnings at age 26 for dual completers.
- Access to dual enrollment raised college aspirations by 35%.
- Rural students gained 12% more postsecondary credits via dual.
- Dual programs decreased dropout rates by 14%.
- 40% of dual students pursued CTE pathways successfully.
- Program bridged achievement gaps for minorities by 10-15%.
- Dual enrollment increased associate degree attainment by 21%.
- Cost-benefit ratio: $3.50 return per $1 invested in dual.
- 28% more dual students transferred to 4-year colleges.
- Program reduced achievement gaps in math by 0.3 SD.
- Dual enrollees 2.5x more likely to complete credentials early.
- Increased civic engagement 12% among dual alumni.
- Dual programs saved families $800 per credit hour on average.
- 19% rise in underrepresented minority college persistence.
- Program led to 16% higher job placement rates post-HS.
- Dual enrollment enhanced soft skills by 25% per surveys.
- 33% of dual students avoided student debt under $10k.
- Increased enrollment in high-demand fields by 22%.
- Dual programs improved mental health outcomes by 10%.
- Long-term ROI: 4:1 for state investments in dual.
- Dual enrollment narrowed gender gaps in CTE by 18%.
Program Impacts and Benefits Interpretation
Dual enrollment doesn't just nudge students toward college; it hands them a head start, a diploma, a better paycheck, and a lighter debt load, all while secretly saving taxpayers a fortune and making the whole system a bit more fair.
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