Dual Enrollment Programs are Booming, but Access Gaps Persist

By Brandon Alfred, Managing Director of Strategy

The Growing Popularity of Dual Enrollment

In high schools across the country, dual enrollment (or dual credit) programs are no longer a fringe offering. They’ve become a central pathway to college, growing from under 400,000 to nearly 1.5 million students between 1999 and 2021.

Much of this growth has been driven by partnerships with community colleges, with one in five community college students still enrolled in high school. 

On the surface, this is exactly the kind of opportunity expansion we should want for students: more choices, more access, more chances to earn credit before stepping onto a college campus. But with more choice comes a new challenge: How do we ensure that all students are accessing the right options? 

Today’s students are navigating a complex maze of advanced offerings, including AP, IB and Dual Credit, and we can do more to help them understand which path fits best. It’s a gift to have so many options, but without strong advising, data visibility, and quality control, it becomes a challenge. 

EOS’ survey data paints a clear picture of how significant this gift of choice is for postsecondary preparation: Students in advanced courses are 12 percentage points more likely to find their classes challenging, and 14 points more likely to say they’re being prepared for college.  

Each advanced academic pathway offers distinct strengths. While they all provide students a head-start on college-level rigor and credit, Dual Enrollment is an ideal fit for those seeking hands-on experiences in vocational fields. Research highlights Dual Enrollment as a particularly inclusive fast-track to career-path degrees and certifications.

To unlock students’ academic and future potential, educators need to match each student to the educational opportunities that best fit their needs, academic goals, and career aspirations.

So how do we ensure students are matched with the right pathways — and that those pathways deliver meaningful results? That’s where district and school leaders must act boldly.

Addressing access gaps in Dual Enrollment

At EOS, we’ve learned that representation without intentionality is not enough. Dual Enrollment may be more accessible in theory, but opportunity does not always translate to access. In fact, students of color, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities remain underrepresented in many Dual Enrollment programs across the country. 

Leaders can take four key steps to change this: 

Policy and education leaders have done amazing work expanding rigorous coursework options for students. Our job now is to make sure students aren’t just walking through new doors, but that the doors are open to everyone, and students know which one is right for them.  

Learn how EOS supports school districts in increasing student enrollment and success in advanced pathways like Dual Enrollment here.