Dual Enrollment for High Schoolers: Benefits & Barriers to Access
October 15, 2025
There are a number of significant factors that colleges take into consideration when making admissions decisions. While the exact weighting and balance of those factors is different for every institution, academic performance is at the very top of the list. This is most recognizable as the “numbers” portion of the college application: the GPA, the high school transcript, and in many cases, standardized tests like the SAT or the ACT. But one additional piece of assessing an applicant’s academic performance is whether they have taken the most rigorous curriculum available to them at their school.
Those options can look very different depending on whether a student is attending a rural public school, a large urban charter school, a private boarding school, or was homeschooled. Some students may have Honors courses available thoughout high school, or a slate of AP classes to choose from. They may have the opportunity to complete the IB diploma program. Or, as is increasingly common at schools throughout the country, they may be able to enroll in dual-credit courses through a local community college or four-year institution.
In recent years, dual enrollment has become a widespread high school curricular option, and as new data and research studies come out about its potential impacts, families may be wondering if these kinds of programs are the best choice for their students. Below, we’ll get into how dual enrollment works, what the research on dual enrollment says, some of the benefits and barriers to access, and how dual enrollment compares to other advanced high school curricula.
How does dual enrollment work?
The practicalities of dual enrollment can vary significantly by state and program, but one of the most common approaches is that high schoolers take a college-level course in person at their own high school—often taught by a high school teacher they already know. Dual enrollment courses are most often designed, offered, and awarded credit by community colleges, but some are also offered through four-year institutions. Sometimes, community college instructors will come to high schools to teach these courses, but other students may have to attend their dual-credit courses in person. Another growing option, especially following the boom in online course formats after 2020, is that students can complete their dual enrollment coursework entirely online.
In order to enroll in a dual-credit course, students may have to meet certain requirements (which can vary by state and by course). Some eligibility requirements include: a minimum GPA, a recommendation from a teacher or counselor, prerequisite courses, grade level, or college-set entrance requirements such as a test or writing sample.
Is dual enrollment free?
Dual enrollment programs are often—but not always—subsidized by the state or the school district, which may mean that students can take these courses entirely for free, or for a small fee. Sometimes, students are limited in the number of dual-credit courses they can take (or take for free).
Do colleges accept dual-enrollment credits?
While dual enrollment is sometimes touted as a great way to get general education requirements out of the way or get a head start on college major prerequisites, dual-credit coursework may not be transferable in every case. Some private or out-of-state schools may not count these credits, or if they do, they may still require their own gen-ed or major coursework. It’s important to research these questions and meet with a school counselor before enrolling in any dual-credit courses.
What does the research say about dual enrollment?
The first year that the federal government collected data on dual enrollment programs was the 2022-2023 school year. Before that, the age bracket of “17 and under” was used as a proxy for dual enrollment status. Although it’s difficult to draw any definite conclusions from such limited data, the 2022-2023 numbers are useful for contextualizing the scope of dual enrollment. In 2022-2023:
- Almost 5 million high school students were enrolled in dual-credit courses.
- Dual enrollment students made up 12% of overall undergraduate enrollment nationally, and 21% of community college enrollment nationally.
- 72% of dual enrollment students earned credits through public two-year institutions, with the next largest share being public four-year institutions (18%).
- The largest percentages of dual-enrolled high school students were in Idaho (45% of high school students), Indiana (40%), Iowa (33%), and Utah (32%).
Several independent studies in the past two years, using alternate data sets, have begun to look more closely at dual enrollment numbers, demographics, and outcomes. One study found that students who dual-enrolled applied to more colleges (and more selective colleges), and were more likely to be admitted to highly selective in-state four-year colleges. Another study found that dual-enrolled students were about 1.5 times more likely to receive scholarships and grants, especially merit-based aid.
The results of these studies look promising, but it’s important to note that none of the research undertaken so far can definitively claim that dual enrollment courses are the primary variable impacting increased college applications, acceptances, financial aid, retention, or degree completion. Some researchers suggest that students who enroll in dual-credit courses are often already high-achieving and motivated, and would have met these increased benchmarks regardless. Further research will be needed to determine whether there are any direct causal relationships between dual enrollment and higher education outcomes.
How can high schoolers benefit from dual enrollment coursework?
While the jury is still out on the research front, there are still significant potential benefits to taking dual-credit courses as a high schooler, and college admissions outcomes are only one piece of the puzzle.
- Diverse academic options: Dual enrollment gives intellectually curious high schoolers the opportunity to take different or more advanced courses than are available at the high school level, or to continue study in an area where they’ve already completed the highest level of coursework.
- Initiative and rigor: Taking the most advanced level of study available (whether dual enrollment or other advanced courses) shows a student’s initiative and academic rigor, which do have a positive impact on college admissions.
- College readiness: Whether or not there is a causal relationship between dual enrollment and college acceptances, having a familiarity with college-level coursework will make a student’s transition to a college setting easier than if they did not have that experience.
What are the barriers to dual enrollment access?
Data shows that access to (and success in) dual enrollment programs varies widely between, and even within, states, and that there are significant gaps in access for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students. What are some of the barriers causing these discrepancies?
- Financial barriers: While dual enrollment programs are often subsidized by state- and district-level education departments, some families still have to pay fees to enroll. While the fees are usually significantly cheaper than what college students have to pay, they can still pose a barrier to entry for low-income families.
- State policy: Access to and participation in dual enrollment depend heavily on the policy infrastructure and investment in each state. States with more widespread and consistent dual enrollment are also the ones with the most funding and program quality oversight. Depending on where students live, they may find fewer (well-funded and well-vetted) opportunities to dual enroll.
- High school advising: Another noted issue impacting dual enrollment access is simply the knowledge that the option exists. Some students may not be aware that they can take college-level coursework, or that they have to complete prerequisites before enrolling. More robust high school advising and clear dissemination of resources and information may improve this issue.
While the largest gaps in access are for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students, these are also the demographics that may have the most to gain from participating in dual enrollment coursework. Although research on this topic is still in its infancy, early analysis shows that potentially modest boosts to students overall turn into very large boosts for these particular demographics.
How does dual enrollment compare to other advanced curricula?
Taking the most rigorous coursework available is a boon to students’ academic profiles. However, dual enrollment isn’t the only (or even the best) option for every student. Depending on your high school, there may be other advanced curricula available, including AP courses, the IB program, and individual schools’ Honors classes. How do these options compare to dual enrollment?
- AP (or Advanced Placement) courses are college-level courses offered by the College Board and taught in high schools by high school teachers. To earn college credit for these classes, students must take a standardized exam and receive a certain score (accepted scores may vary by college). In comparison, dual enrollment students need only pass the class to earn college credit (with the drawback being that credits aren’t always transferable). While AP courses themselves don’t have a cost, there is a fee to take each AP exam.
- The IB (or International Baccalaureate) program is an interdisciplinary pre-college program that is offered in 140 countries. An IB diploma consists of courses and assessments in six subject areas, as well as a service requirement, an extended essay, and a core philosophy course. While not as universally accepted as AP courses, some colleges in the US (and worldwide) will award credit for IB courses. Some American universities also offer scholarships specifically for IB diploma holders.
- Honors classes are advanced high school-level coursework, often offered as a more rigorous alternative to the normal subject requirements for a high school diploma. As opposed to dual enrollment, AP, or IB programs, honors classes cannot count as college credit. But an honors track is more likely to be available throughout a student’s four years of high school, rather than having grade-level restrictions. In many cases, honors classes—like other advanced curricula—are given extra weight in the high school GPA.
Is dual enrollment the best choice for me or my student?
The answer to this question is going to be different for every student, based on what curricular options they have access to, what coursework they can best succeed in, and what their goals are after high school graduation. Dual enrollment is just one option for students to enhance their academic profile. We recommend that students and families take stock of all of their available options, research each of them thoroughly, and make the best decisions for their individual student’s unique trajectory.
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