Characteristics of Dual Enrollment Programs

Those institutions that reported having high school students who took courses for college credit within dual enrollment programs were asked about the characteristics of their programs. The topics explored in the survey included course location, course instructors, program curriculum, academic eligibility requirements, and funding.

Course Location and Type of Instructors

Institutions with dual enrollment programs were asked whether high school students in the dual enrollment programs took courses on the campus of the institution, on a high school campus, or at some other location. Institutions with courses taught on a high school campus were also asked whether the courses in the dual enrollment programs were taught by college instructors only, high school instructors only, or by both high school and college instructors. If institutions indicated that at least some courses were taught by high school instructors, they were asked how the minimum qualifications for high school instructors who taught the courses compared to the qualifications required for college instructors.

Among institutions with dual enrollment programs, 80 percent offered courses taken by high school students on their college campus, 55 percent offered courses on a high school campus, and 12 percent offered courses at some other location⁶ (table 3).
A greater percentage of public 2-year than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions offered the courses taken by high school students on a high school campus (73 percent versus 47 and 28 percent, respectively) (table 3).
Of those institutions with dual enrollment programs with courses taught on a high school campus, 26 percent reported that the courses were taught by college instructors only, 32 percent reported high school instructors only, and 42 percent reported both college and high school instructors (table 4).
A smaller percentage of private 4-year institutions had the courses taught on a high school campus taught by college instructors only, compared to public 2-year and public 4-year institutions (10 percent versus 28 and 31 percent, respectively) (table 4).
Of those institutions with dual enrollment programs with at least some courses taught by high school instructors, 86 percent said that the minimum qualifications for high school instructors were the same as those required for college instructors, compared to 6 percent that said that the minimum qualifications were different (table 5). Four percent of institutions said that they had no set policy with respect to minimum qualifications, and 5 percent said that it varied.
A higher percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4-year institutions reported the same minimum qualifications for high school instructors as for college instructors with respect to teaching college-level courses (90 percent versus 73 percent) (table 5).

Curriculum and Coursetaking Patterns

Institutions were asked several questions regarding dual enrollment program curriculum and coursetaking patterns, including the typical coursetaking pattern for high school students and the maximum number of courses allowed per academic term. Institutions were also asked whether the curriculum for courses taken in the programs was specially designed for high school students.

Among institutions with dual enrollment programs, 48 percent of institutions responded that one course per academic term most closely resembled the typical high school enrollment pattern during the 2002–03 12-month academic year, compared to 19 percent that responded two courses per academic term, and 4 percent that responded three or more courses per academic term (table 6). Twenty-eight percent of institutions said that it varied.⁷
A higher percentage of public 4-year and private 4-year institutions than public 2-year institutions reported one course per academic term as the typical pattern of high school enrollments (56 and 64 percent, respectively, versus 36 percent) (table 6). A higher percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions reported that the typical pattern varied (37 percent versus 28 and 12 percent, respectively).
Fourteen percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs said that one course was the maximum number allowed per academic term, 30 percent reported allowing a maximum of two courses per academic term, and 25 percent reported allowing three or more courses per academic term (table 7). Another 31 percent of institutions said that there was no maximum number of courses per academic term.
A greater percentage of private 4-year institutions than public 2-year and public 4-year institutions allowed a maximum of one course per academic term (33 percent versus 5 and 11 percent, respectively) (table 7). Thirty-eight percent of public 2-year institutions had no maximum number of courses per academic term, compared to 31 percent of public 4-year and 19 percent of private 4-year institutions.
A smaller percentage of large institutions allowed a maximum of one course per academic term, compared to small and medium institutions (8 percent versus 18 and 11 percent, respectively) (table 7).
Eighty-nine percent of institutions said that the curriculum of the college-level courses taken by high school students as part of their dual enrollment programs was the same as for regular college students, compared to 3 percent of institutions that said that the curriculum was specially designed for high school students, and 8 percent that said it varied (table 8).⁸

Credit Award

Institutions were asked about when high school students were generally awarded college credit for courses taken, and whether they earned credit at the high school level for courses taken.

Ninety-four percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs awarded college credit for courses immediately after course completion, compared to 3 percent that awarded credit upon enrollment of students at their institutions and another 3 percent that awarded credit in some other way (table 9).⁹
Fifty-nine percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs indicated that credit for college courses was earned at both the high school and college level, compared to 6 percent where credit was earned at the college level only, and 21 percent where it varied (table 10).¹⁰ Fourteen percent of institutions did not know whether credit was earned at the high school level.
A greater percentage of respondents at private 4-year institutions than at public 2-year and public 4-year institutions did not know whether credit for courses was earned at the high school level (25 percent versus 9 and 14 percent, respectively) (table 10).

Academic Eligibility Requirements

Institutions with dual enrollment programs were asked a series of questions pertaining to academic eligibility requirements for high school students to participate in the dual enrollment programs. Institutions were asked whether they had academic eligibility requirements, what were the requirements, and whether their academic eligibility requirements were the same or different than their institutions' admissions standards for regular college students. In addition, institutions were asked to identify the grade levels at which high school students were eligible to take courses in dual enrollment programs.

Prevalence and Type of Requirements

Among institutions with dual enrollment programs, 85 percent had academic eligibility requirements for high school students to participate (table 11). A higher percentage of public 4-year institutions than public 2-year and private 4-year institutions had academic eligibility requirements (93 percent versus 83 and 81 percent, respectively).
A higher percentage of institutions with dual enrollment programs that had academic eligibility requirements had a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) requirement, compared to other kinds of requirements (66 percent versus 16 to 45 percent) (Table 11). Forty-five percent of the institutions used a minimum score on a standardized test, 44 percent used a college placement test, and 16 percent used minimum high school class rank as academic eligibility requirements for high school students to participate in dual enrollment programs. Thirty-one percent had some other academic eligibility requirements, including recommendations or permission (from a high school principal, guidance counselor, or a parent/guardian), course prerequisites, strong high school attendance, junior or senior grade level, or an essay or written letter.
Public 4-year and private 4-year institutions used minimum high school GPA as an academic eligibility requirement more frequently than 2-year institutions (79 and 86 percent, respectively, versus 46 percent). A higher percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions required passing a college placement test (73 percent versus 22 and 13 percent, respectively) (table 11).
A greater percentage of public 4-year institutions than public 2-year and private 4-year institutions required a minimum score on a standardized test (60 percent versus 43 and 37 percent, respectively) and a minimum high school class rank (28 percent versus 8 and 19 percent, respectively) (table 11).

Minimum High School GPA

Of those institutions with dual enrollment programs that had a minimum high school GPA requirement, the highest percentage (44 percent) required a minimum GPA between 2.75 and 3.24, compared to 7 percent that required between 1.75 and 2.24, 10 percent that required between 2.25 and 2.74, 22 percent that required between 3.25 and 3.74, and 3 percent that required a minimum GPA of 3.75 or above (table 12). Fourteen percent of institutions said that it varied.¹¹
A lower percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions required a minimum GPA between 3.25 and 3.74 (15 percent versus 27 and 29 percent, respectively) (table 12).

Comparability of Admissions Standards

Of the 85 percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs that had academic eligibility requirements for high school students to participate, 38 percent indicated that their requirements were the same as admissions standards for regular college students, while 62 percent indicated that their requirements were different from admissions standards for regular college students (table 13).
Fifty-five percent of public 2-year institutions reported that their academic eligibility requirements were the same as admissions standards for regular college students, compared to 21 percent of public 4-year and 27 percent of private 4-year institutions (table 13).

Eligible Grade Levels

Among institutions with dual enrollment programs, 96 percent allowed grade 12 high school students to take courses in the programs,¹² 86 percent allowed grade 11 students, 28 percent allowed grade 10 students, 16 percent allowed grade 9 students, and 2 percent allowed students in grades lower than grade 9 (table 14).
A greater percentage of public 2-year institutions than public 4-year and private 4-year institutions allowed grade 9 (21 percent versus 15 and 12 percent, respectively) and grade 10 high school students (35 percent versus 26 and 18 percent, respectively) to take courses in dual enrollment programs (table 14). A smaller percentage of private 4-year institutions allowed grade 11 high school students to take courses in dual enrollment programs, compared to public 2-year and public 4-year institutions (76 percent versus 93 and 89 percent, respectively).
A greater percentage of large than of small or medium institutions allowed grade 9 (26 percent versus 14 and 16 percent, respectively), grade 10 (40 percent versus 23 and 30 percent, respectively), and grade 11 (93 percent versus 83 and 88 percent, respectively) high school students to take courses in dual enrollment programs (table 14).

Funding

Institutions with dual enrollment programs were asked two questions relating to sources of funding for courses taken by high school students in their programs. The first addressed the various sources for tuition payment, and the second addressed how much high school students (and their parents) generally paid out of pocket for the college-level courses taken as part of dual enrollment programs.

Sixty-four percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs reported that parents and students were a source for tuition for courses taken as part of the programs ((table 15). Thirty-eight percent of institutions indicated that their own postsecondary institution was a source for tuition (including both actual contributions and tuition waivers), 37 percent said that high schools and public school districts were a source, and 26 percent said that their state was a source for tuition.13 Nine percent indicated that there was some other source(s) for tuition. The most commonly cited other sources included various federal and county grants, as well as scholarships from local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
A lower percentage of private 4-year institutions than public 2-year and public 4-year institutions indicated that high schools/public school districts (21 percent versus 45 and 41 percent, respectively) and the state (15 percent versus 31 and 25 percent, respectively) were sources for tuition for courses taken in their dual enrollment programs. However, a higher percentage of private 4-year institutions than public 2-year and public 4-year institutions said that their own institution was a source for tuition (50 percent versus 33 percent each) (table 15).
A smaller percentage of public 2-year institutions reported that parents and students were a source for tuition for courses taken in dual enrollment programs, compared to public 4-year and private 4-year institutions (56 percent versus 72 and 71 percent, respectively) (table 15).
Twenty percent of institutions with dual enrollment programs indicated that students and parents generally paid full tuition for college-level courses taken in their dual enrollment programs (table 16). Another 20 percent said that students and parents generally paid partial tuition. Twenty-three percent said that students and parents generally paid for books and/or fees only, and 19 percent said that students and parents generally paid nothing for courses in the dual enrollment programs. Nineteen percent of institutions reported that the amount paid out of pocket by students and parents varied.14
A greater percentage of public 4-year institutions than public 2-year and private 4-year institutions indicated that students and parents generally paid full tuition for courses taken in dual enrollment programs (28 percent versus 20 and 13 percent, respectively) (table 16). Thirty-eight percent of private 4-year institutions said that students and parents generally paid partial tuition out of pocket, compared to 10 percent of public 2- year and 17 percent of public 4-year institutions.

⁶ The percentage of institutions with courses for high school students offered on their college campus, on a high school campus, or at some other location sum to more than 100 percent because institutions may have offered courses at more than one location. Other locations included community centers, vocational/technical schools, and hospitals. Respondents also included online courses as "other locations."

⁷ The "it varied" response could indicate that there was no typical pattern of high school enrollments within a single program, or else that multiple programs within an institution had different typical patterns.

⁸ "It varied" could mean that the curriculum varied within a single program (e.g., was the same as for regular college students for some courses, but different for others), or else that the curriculum varied across multiple programs within an institution (i.e., was the same as for regular college students in one program, but specially designed for high school students in another program).

⁹ Of the roughly 20 "other ways" cited by respondents, about half noted that credits were awarded after high school graduation. The remaining responses varied.

¹⁰ The "it varied" response could indicate that credit was earned in various ways within a single program, or else that credit was earned in different ways across multiple programs within an institution.

¹¹ "It varied" could indicate that the minimum GPA varied within a single program, or else that the minimum required GPA was different across multiple programs within an institution.

¹² Four percent of institutions did not allow grade 12 students to participate in dual enrollment programs, while they did allow students in other grades (predominantly grade 11) to participate in dual enrollment programs.

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