Selected Findings
This section presents selected findings on dual enrollment programs and courses
at 2-year and 4-year Title IV eligible degree-granting postsecondary institutions
for the 12-month 2010–11 academic year.
- During the 12-month 2010–11 academic year, 53 percent of all institutions
reported high school students took courses for college credit within or outside
of dual enrollment programs (table 1).5 Forty-six percent of all institutions
reported that high school students took courses for college credit within a dual
enrollment program, and 28 percent of institutions reported that high school students
took courses for college credit outside a dual enrollment program. Institutions
reported that approximately 1,277,100 high school students took courses for college
credit within a dual enrollment program and approximately 136,400 high school students
took courses for college credit outside a dual enrollment program during the 12-month
2010–11 academic year. Enrollments reported are unduplicated counts of students.6
- Among institutions with a dual enrollment program, 83 percent reported courses within
the program were taught at the college campus, 64 percent reported courses were
taught at the high school campus, and 48 percent reported courses were taught through
distance education (table 2).7
- Among institutions with dual enrollment programs that had at least some instruction
offered on high school campuses, 45 percent reported courses taught by both high
school and college instructors, 34 percent reported high school instructors only,
and 21 percent reported college instructors only (table 3).
- Eighty-seven percent of institutions that reported high school instructors taught
courses within the dual enrollment program(s) indicated that the instructors' minimum
qualifications were the same as those required for college instructors (table 4).
- Forty-four percent of institutions reported that the typical pattern of high school
enrollments in the dual enrollment program was one course per academic term, 18
percent reported that they typical pattern of high school enrollments in the dual
enrollment programs was two courses per academic term, and 3 percent reported that
the typical pattern of high school enrollments in the dual enrollment program was
three or more courses per academic term (table 5).
- Ninety-five percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs awarded college
credit for courses immediately after course completion, while 4 percent awarded
college credit for courses upon students' enrollment at the institution after high
school graduation (table 6).
- Most institutions reported that high school students in grades 11 and 12 were eligible
to take courses within the dual enrollment programs (91 and 97 percent, respectively)
(table 7). Forty percent of institutions reported eligibility for high school students
in grade 10, and 25 percent reported eligibility for high school students in grade
9.
- Sixty percent of institutions reported that a minimum high school grade point average
(GPA) was required in order to participate in the dual enrollment program (table
8). Other academic eligibility requirements reported by institutions included passing
a college placement test (45 percent), a minimum score on a standardized test (43
percent), or a letter of recommendation (41 percent).
- Forty-six percent of the institutions with a dual enrollment program reported that
the academic eligibility requirements to participate in the dual enrollment program
were the same as the admission standards for regular college students (table 9).
Eighty-five percent of the institutions reported that the course curriculum within
the dual enrollment programs was the same curriculum as for regular college students.
- Fifty-six percent of institutions reported discounting the tuition rate for high
school students participating in all of the dual enrollment programs, and 14 percent
reported discounting the tuition rate for high school students participating in
some of the dual enrollment programs (table 10). The most commonly reported source
paying tuition for courses taken within the dual enrollment programs was the postsecondary
institution (77 percent), followed by parents and students (66 percent), high schools
and public school districts (44 percent), the state (38 percent), and other sources
(10 percent).8
- Forty-five percent of institutions with a dual enrollment program indicated that
students (and their parents) generally paid out of pocket9 for tuition,
50 percent indicated that students generally paid for fees, and 60 percent indicated
that students generally paid for books (table 11).
- Fifteen percent of institutions reported that certificates were awarded, and 17
percent reported that associates' degrees were awarded during the 12-month 2010–11
academic year to high school students participating in the dual enrollment programs
(table 12).
- Twelve percent of all institutions had a comprehensive dual enrollment program in
which high school students took all or most of their courses during the 12-month
2010–11 academic year (table 13).10
- Four percent of all postsecondary institutions had a dual enrollment program geared
specifically toward high school students at risk of educational failure during the
12-month 2010–11 academic year (table 14). Institutions reported enrolling
pproximately 22,100 students in these programs.
- Institutions with dual enrollment programs geared specifically toward high school
students at risk of educational failure reported the following extra support services
were offered to those students during the 12-month 2010–11 academic year:
academic advising (74 percent), tutoring services (68 percent), study skills workshops
(65 percent), college application and selection counseling (60 percent), financial
aid counseling (49 percent), and other support services (41 percent) (table 15).11
5 Institutions could report about high school students taking courses
within and outside of dual enrollment programs.
6 In the complementary dual credit survey of high schools, high schools
were instructed to count a student for each relevant course in which he or she was
enrolled. Therefore, course enrollments in the dual credit survey may include duplicated
counts of students. For this reason, the data collected in the postsecondary dual
enrollment and high school dual credit surveys are not comparable.
7 Institutions could report that they offered courses at multiple locations.
Institutions were
instructed to report a course under the distance education category if the course
was taught primarily through distance education. Examples of distance education
courses were provided to respondents as courses taught through audio, video, Internet,
or other computer technologies.
8 Examples of other tuitions sources reported include private scholarships
and grants.
9 The term "out of pocket" was not defined for respondents.
10 The following explanation of comprehensive dual enrollment programs
was included in the survey: Students are generally enrolled in these comprehensive
programs for one or more years. Examples include early college and middle college
high schools, as well as other dual enrollment programs in which high school students
took all or most of their courses.
11 Institutions were instructed to report about support services beyond
those usually provided to students taking courses through the institution.