Dual enrollment is under review
Researchers and policy leaders are reframing dual enrollment from a volume play to a question of who benefits and how it’s implemented, pushing colleges to show outcomes, supports and transferability rather than just credit counts. That shift means messaging must emphasize guided momentum and real student stories that prove reversible, low-risk pathways. (insidehighered.com)
A program that was sold as a fast lane to college is getting a harder question now: which students actually reach the finish line. In an April 8 interview, Community College Research Center researcher John Fink said dual enrollment too often works as a “program of privilege” for students who were already headed to college. (insidehighered.com) Dual enrollment means a high school student takes a college course and earns college credit before graduation. The new argument is that a pile of credits is not enough if those courses do not connect to a degree, a job pathway, or a college the student can actually attend later. (insidehighered.com) The scale is already huge. A national analysis released in October 2024 found that nearly 40 percent of new undergraduates in fall 2015 and 60 percent of new community college students were current or former dual enrollment students. (nacep.org) Those students did better on average. The same national study found 81 percent of dual enrollment students went to college in the first year after high school, compared with about 70 percent of students overall. (nacep.org) But the gains are not spread evenly. That study found low-income, Black, and Hispanic students were underrepresented in dual enrollment in nearly every state, even though those groups can benefit when the programs are built well. (nacep.org) One reason is cost. Fink told Inside Higher Ed that in many states students and families still pay to participate, which turns a college access tool into something closer to an advanced option for families who can already afford extra fees and transportation. (insidehighered.com) Another reason is course design. Fink said many students get what researchers call “random acts of dual enrollment,” meaning a class here and a class there, with no map showing how those credits fit into a certificate, an associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree later on. (insidehighered.com) That is why researchers are pushing a different model. A 2023 report from the Community College Research Center described “Dual Enrollment Equity Pathways,” which pairs colleges and school districts around four pieces: outreach to underserved families, courses tied to real programs, advising on next steps, and classroom support that helps students build confidence as college learners. (eric.ed.gov) The point is not just to let a student taste college. The point is to let a ninth grader or tenth grader step onto a marked trail, where the first class leads to the next class, and the credits still count when the student transfers or comes back after high school. (eric.ed.gov) States are starting to write policy around that idea. California’s 2025 equity guide says the field should both increase the number of students earning 12 or more college units by high school graduation and close access gaps for historically underrepresented students, instead of treating growth and equity as separate goals. (careerladdersproject.org) That shift changes what colleges have to prove. “We served 5,000 students” is no longer the whole pitch if those students cannot use the credits, do not get advising, or disappear after graduation; the stronger case is a student who starts with one supported course, keeps the credits, and moves into a clear college or career program without taking on much risk. (insidehighered.com; eric.ed.gov)
