Greater Equity in College Access Through High School/College Dual Enrollment Programs

This brief, published by The Campaign for College Opportunity, summarizes the research on dual enrollment programs—programs which allow high school students to enroll in college coursework through a partnering college or university—and offers policymakers a strategy to increase college enrollment and attainment via such efforts. Dual enrollment represents a promising lever for increasing educational equity, given its large scale and demonstrated effectiveness for increasing college access and success among its participants. Black, Latinx, and other minoritized students benefit from dual enrollment participation, yet these and other groups underrepresented in higher education often do not have meaningful access to such programs. Strong dual enrollment programs have the potential to raise college enrollment rates among high school graduates and improve college-attainment rates for students who participate. The author of the brief argues that broadening the benefits of dual enrollment is indeed possible if we can ensure equitable access to dual enrollment coursework and implement these programs as a seamless and well-supported on-ramp into college.