Dual enrollment programs are evidence-based practices that improve rates of college enrollment, high school and degree completion, and college credit accumulation. Although dual enrollment is increasingly becoming a part of our education system, it is often misunderstood because program models and approaches vary across the country.
When students, parents, school leaders, and policymakers make decisions based on inaccurate information about dual enrollment programs, it can have negative consequences, like students choosing not to participate in dual enrollment despite its benefits, or policymakers deprioritizing policies that would expand access.
This brief debunks common myths about dual enrollment to clarify what these programs are, who they are for, and why they matter to students’ educational success.