Dual Enrollment: Earning College Credit in High School

Last updated: November 10, 2026

Dual enrollment lets you take real college courses while you are still in high school and earn both high school and college credit for them. Federal data show it is now mainstream: colleges reported 3,101,112 high school students in their courses in 2024–25, about 10% more than the year before. The rules, though, are set state by state. In Florida and Minnesota, eligible public school students pay no tuition. In Texas, colleges in the state's FAST program may charge at most $60.10 per credit hour for 2026–27. This national guide covers how dual enrollment works, what it costs, whether the credits transfer, how it compares with AP, and how to choose courses that build toward a field you love.

A college course in high school earns credit. A college-level research project in a field you love earns you a direction. See how students start one. Send me the research starter guide →

What is dual enrollment?

Federal law defines a "dual or concurrent enrollment program" as a partnership between at least one college and at least one school district. Through it, a high school student can take one or more college courses and earn college credit that transfers to the partner colleges and counts toward a degree or credential.

You will see several names for the same idea:

• Dual enrollment is the broad term for any high school student taking college courses for credit.
• Dual credit is another common name. Texas uses it.
• Concurrent enrollment often means a college course taught at your high school by a teacher the college has approved.
• Early college high school is a whole-school model. Under federal law, students earn at least 12 transferable college credits at no cost to their family.

NCES, the Department of Education's statistics agency, counts AP and IB separately from dual enrollment. AP credit depends on one exam score. Dual enrollment credit depends on your grade in a college course.

How many students take dual enrollment?

The newest federal count comes from IPEDS, the Department of Education's survey of every college that takes federal student aid. Colleges reported:

That is an increase of about 10% in one year. About 91.5% of those students took courses at public colleges. Each college counts its own students, so a student who took courses at two colleges counts twice.

Older NCES studies fill in the picture:

• About a third of students take college courses in high school. In a national study of students who started 9th grade in 2009, 34% took a course for college credit, not counting AP or IB.
• Most high schools offer it. In 2017–18, 82% of public schools with grades 9–12 offered dual or concurrent enrollment. Among rural schools, the figure was 90%.
• Most students take it at their own school. In the same 2009 study, 80% of dual enrollment students took courses at their high school, 17% on a college campus and 8% online.

Four in five dual enrollment students take their college courses at their own high school. Picture a project that takes you far past it, with a PhD mentor beside you. Show me project ideas →

How does dual enrollment work?

The usual steps:

1. Ask your counselor which colleges partner with your school. Dual enrollment runs through a partnership between your district and a college.
2. Meet the eligibility rules. In a 2010–11 NCES survey of colleges with dual enrollment programs, 60% required a minimum high school GPA, 45% a placement test and 43% a minimum standardized test score.
3. Apply to the college as a dual enrollment student and get approval from your high school.
4. Choose your format: a college course at your high school, on the college campus or online.
5. Earn your grade. In the same NCES survey, 95% of colleges awarded the college credit as soon as you finished the course.

Grade limits vary. In the 2010–11 NCES survey, 97% of colleges let 12th graders enroll, 91% 11th graders, 40% 10th graders and 25% 9th graders. Here is how three states set the rules today:

• Florida: students in grades 6–12 are eligible. College credit courses need a 3.0 unweighted GPA and proof of college-level reading, writing and math skills.
• Minnesota (PSEO): grades 10–12. 11th and 12th graders can enroll full time or part time. 10th graders start with one career and technical course and need a reading score of "meets" or "exceeds" on the 8th-grade state test.
• Georgia: grades 10–12. 10th graders can take academic courses only with an SAT of at least 1200 or an ACT of at least 26.

How much does dual enrollment cost?

Cost depends almost entirely on your state and your college. Nationally, in 2017–18, 78% of public high schools with dual enrollment said the school, district or state paid for it, and 42% said families or students paid (schools could name more than one source).

Two points apply everywhere:

• Federal student aid doesn't apply. The Department of Education's rules say a student enrolled in high school is not eligible for federal student aid, even while taking college courses.
• Extras can cost money. Minnesota students may pay for equipment they keep or books they don't return, and Georgia colleges may fine students for lost or damaged books.

Do dual enrollment credits transfer?

Within the partnership, they should. The federal definition requires credit that transfers to the partner colleges. Some states go further. In Florida, dual enrollment courses transfer to any Florida public college or university that offers the same statewide course number.

Beyond your state, it depends on the college you attend. Florida's own guidance tells students heading out of state to check with that college first. Three habits protect your credits:

1. Choose courses with a clear equivalent: Calculus I, General Chemistry I, Introduction to Psychology.
2. Save every syllabus. A college that reviews your credit may ask what the course covered.
3. Check each college's policy once you know where you are applying.

Remember that a dual enrollment course is a college course on a college transcript. Florida's guidance puts it plainly: the grades "become part of a student's permanent college transcript and are calculated into the student's permanent postsecondary GPA." A strong grade travels with you, and so does a weak one.

A college grade follows you for years. So can a research paper with your name on it, in the field you care about most. Help me choose my field →

Does dual enrollment give you a higher GPA?

It can. If your school uses a weighted GPA, dual enrollment courses may earn extra weight, like honors or AP courses. Florida requires it: school districts and Florida colleges must weight dual enrollment the same as AP, IB and AICE courses. Other states leave it to your district, so ask your counselor. See how weighting works in weighted vs unweighted GPA, and model a semester in the high school GPA calculator.

Dual enrollment vs AP: which is better?

Neither wins everywhere. Compare them on what matters to you:

Is dual enrollment harder than AP? It depends on the course and the college. A dual enrollment course moves at college pace and is graded like a college course, and it can count against your college GPA. An AP course packs a college course into a school year, and everything rides on one exam. For details on AP scoring, fees and the 2027 schedule, see our guide to AP exams.

A good rule: use AP for the subjects your school teaches well in AP, and use dual enrollment for subjects your school can't offer, or once you have finished the top course in a subject.

Is dual enrollment worth it?

For most students who are ready, yes. The Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse reviewed the research in 2017. It found that dual enrollment programs had positive effects on college degree attainment, college access and enrollment, credit accumulation, high school completion and general academic achievement in high school. It found no clear effect on students' grades once they were in college.

The benefits are real, but so is the commitment. Choose courses you can do well in, because the grade stays on your college record.

How to choose dual enrollment courses that build toward a field

It is tempting to fill dual enrollment with general education courses, such as English composition and U.S. history. Those can save time. But the courses that change your future build a path in one field. Pick a sequence, so each course prepares you for the next:

• Biology or medicine: General Biology I and II, then General Chemistry, then Statistics.
• Engineering or physics: Calculus I and II, then Calculus-based Physics, then Linear Algebra or Differential Equations.
• Computer science: Introduction to Programming, then Data Structures, then Discrete Math.
• Psychology or neuroscience: Introduction to Psychology, then Statistics, then Research Methods.

A sequence like this shows colleges sustained interest, which matters more than a long list of unrelated credits. See what colleges look for.

Then take the next step that courses can't give you: your own question. A research project in your field, carried from a question to a finished paper with a mentor, uses everything your courses taught and shows what you can discover. If your school runs out of advanced courses, our guide to online programs for gifted students lists more options, and does research help college admissions explains why the project matters.

Your college courses teach the methods. A PhD mentor from a top-20 university helps you use them on a question you choose, one-on-one. Show me how to start one →

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of dual enrollment?

Taking college courses while in high school and earning college credit, usually high school credit too.

Is dual enrollment harder than AP?

It depends on the course. Dual enrollment is graded like a college course and goes on a college transcript; AP depends on one exam.

Does dual enrollment give you a higher GPA?

Often, if your school weights it. Florida requires the same weight as AP and IB. Ask your counselor about your district.

Is dual enrollment worth it?

For students who are ready, the Department of Education's research review found positive effects on college access, credits and degree completion.

Is dual enrollment free?

In some states. Florida and Minnesota charge eligible public school students no tuition, and Georgia's state funding covers 30 semester hours. Elsewhere, costs vary by college.

Can 9th graders take dual enrollment?

In some states. Florida allows grades 6–12; Georgia and Minnesota start at 10th grade.

Sources

• NCES, IPEDS 12-Month Enrollment, dual enrolled students 2024–25 (EFFY2025_HS data file)
• NCES, IPEDS Table 10, high school students enrolled in college courses for credit, 2023–24
• NCES, Dual Enrollment: Participation and Characteristics (2019)
• NCES, Dual or Concurrent Enrollment in Public Schools in the United States (2020)
• NCES, Dual Enrollment Programs and Courses for High School Students at Postsecondary Institutions: 2010–11
• IES Regional Educational Laboratory, Dual Enrollment, Concurrent Enrollment, and Early College Defined (PDF)
• 20 U.S.C. 7801, definitions (15) and (17)
• U.S. Department of Education, What Works Clearinghouse, Dual Enrollment Programs
• U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid Handbook 2025–26, School-Determined Requirements
• Florida Statutes 2026, section 1007.271, Dual enrollment programs
• Florida Department of Education, Dual Enrollment FAQ (PDF)
• Minnesota Department of Education, Postsecondary Enrollment Options
• Georgia Student Finance Commission, 2026–27 Dual Enrollment Program Regulations (PDF)
• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, FAST Program

About learnSTEM

All bright students reach a point where school stops challenging them. learnSTEM provides that challenge: the space to explore a field of their choice, guided by a world-class PhD mentor from a top-20 university, completely one-on-one and on your own schedule. Students finish with a passion for a new subject, a research project they are proud of, and a clear sense of what they want to pursue next.

See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program → · Questions about eligibility? Contact us →

"It has only strengthened my love for learning about the world and given me a paper that I am proud to say I've made." — learnSTEM student