Prevalence of and Enrollment in Dual Enrollment Programs and College-Level Courses

The survey asked whether institutions had any high school students who took courses for college credit during the 2002–03 12-month academic year. Institutions that did were then asked whether high school students took college-level courses outside of any dual enrollment program, followed by a question on whether any high school students took courses for college credit that were part of a dual enrollment program. If any high school students took courses outside of or within dual enrollment programs, institutions were asked to provide the number of students who did so.

Prevalence of Dual Enrollment Programs and College Coursetaking

During the 2002–03 12-month academic year, 57 percent of all Title IV degree-granting institutions had high school students taking courses for college credit within or outside of dual enrollment programs (table 1). Forty-eight percent of institutions had dual enrollment programs for high school students taking college courses, and 31 percent of institutions had high school students taking college courses outside of such programs.
Of the 57 percent of institutions that had high school students who took courses for college credit during the 2002–03 12-month academic year, 85 percent had high school students taking courses for college credit in dual enrollment programs, and 55 percent had students who took college courses outside of dual enrollment programs (table 1).
Of those institutions with any high school students taking courses for college credit, 45 percent had high school students taking college-level courses within dual enrollment programs only, 15 percent had high school students taking college-level courses outside of dual enrollment programs only, and 40 percent had high school students taking college-level courses both within and outside of those programs (figure 1).
Ninety-eight percent of public 2-year institutions had high school students taking courses for college credit during the 2002–03 12-month academic year, compared to 77 percent of public 4-year institutions, 40 percent of private 4-year institutions, and 17 percent of private 2-year institutions (table 1).
Among all institutions, a greater percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4- year and private 4-year institutions had high school students taking college-level courses within dual enrollment programs (93 percent versus 64 and 29 percent, respectively) (table 1). Similarly, a greater percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions had high school students taking college-level courses outside of dual enrollment programs (63 percent versus 40 and 18 percent, respectively).
Among institutions with high school students taking college-level courses, a higher percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions had high school students taking courses within dual enrollment programs (95 percent versus 83 and 73 percent, respectively) (table 1). Similarly, among those institutions with high school students taking college-level courses, a higher percentage of public 2- year institutions than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions had high school students taking courses outside of dual enrollment programs (64 percent versus 52 and 45 percent, respectively).
Forty-four percent of small institutions had high school students taking courses for college credit, compared to 83 percent of medium institutions and 94 percent of large institutions (table 1).
Based on all institutions, a lower percentage of small institutions than medium and large institutions had high school students taking courses for college credit within dual enrollment programs (36 percent versus 74 and 79 percent, respectively) (table 1). In addition, based on all institutions, a lower percentage of small institutions than medium and large institutions had high school students taking courses outside of dual enrollment programs (22 percent versus 51 and 50 percent, respectively).

Enrollment of High School Students in Dual Enrollment Programs and College-Level Courses

Overall, approximately 813,000 high school students took college-level courses through postsecondary institutions, either within or outside of dual enrollment programs, during the 2002–03 12-month academic year (table 2). This number represents about 5 percent of all high school students. In fall 2001 (the last year for which data are available), there were over 15 million students enrolled in public and private high schools in the United States (U.S. Department of Education 2003).
Approximately 680,000 high school students took courses for college credit within dual enrollment programs (table 2). Fewer high school students (approximately 133,000) took college-level courses outside of dual enrollment programs. Thus, 84 percent of high school students who took courses for college credit through postsecondary institutions did so as part of a dual enrollment program (figure 2).
Public 2-year institutions had more high school students who took college-level courses than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions during the 2002–03 12-month academic year (619,000 versus 122,000 and 67,000, respectively) (table 2). Thus, 77 percent of high school students who took college-level courses were in public 2-year institutions, versus 15 percent in public 4-year and 8 percent in private 4-year institutions (figure 3).
Public 2-year institutions also had more high school students than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions within dual enrollment programs (517,000 versus 100,000 and 60,000, respectively) and outside of dual enrollment programs (102,000 versus 22,000 and 7,000, respectively) (table 2).
Small institutions had fewer high school students taking college-level courses than medium and large institutions during the 2002–03 12-month academic year (171,000 versus 308,000 and 333,000, respectively) (table 2). Similarly, small institutions had fewer high school students taking college-level courses than medium and large institutions, both within dual enrollment programs (149,000 versus 249,000 and 282,000, respectively) and outside of dual enrollment programs (23,000 versus 59,000 and 51,000, respectively).

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