Dual enrollment (also called dual credit) allows high school students to take college-level courses and earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. Courses are taught by college professors (or qualified high school teachers) and follow college-level curricula.
10 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Process
- Check eligibility requirements. Common requirements include:
- Grade level: Most states require students to be at least juniors or seniors; some allow sophomores
- GPA: Minimum GPA of 3.0 is common (varies by state and institution)
- College readiness assessments: Many programs require qualifying scores on placement tests (Accuplacer, SAT/ACT, or state-specific assessments like TSI in Texas)
- Prerequisites: Some courses require prior coursework completion
- Meet with your high school guidance counselor. Discuss:
- Which dual enrollment programs your school partners with
- How dual enrollment courses will count toward high school graduation
- How the courses appear on your high school transcript
- Scheduling considerations
Common Mistakes
- Not verifying credit transfer
- Choosing courses that do not transfer
- Underestimating the workload
- Ignoring the impact on college GPA
- Not understanding tuition costs
Pro Tips
- Prioritize transferable core courses
- Check articulation agreements
- Consider online dual enrollment
- Use dual enrollment to explore interests
- Save money