2024 Reports

The Postsecondary Outcomes of High School Dual Enrollment Students: A National and State-by-State Analysis

Velasco Rodriguez, Tatiana; Fink, John; Bedoya-Guevara, Mariel; Jenkins, Davis

Using National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) data, this report presents national and state-by-state findings on the postsecondary enrollment and completion outcomes of high school students who began taking dual enrollment college courses in fall 2015, tracked up to four years after high school. The authors describe the size and significance of the dual enrollment population for postsecondary institutions and states and compare postsecondary outcomes among dual enrollees to outcomes of other recent high school graduates entering higher education without prior dual enrollment experience. Given previous research indicating that low-income, Black, and Hispanic high school students are severely underrepresented in dual enrollment coursework, the authors further disaggregate results for these subgroups to highlight the potential for dual enrollment to strengthen high-school-to-college-and-career transitions and increase equity for underserved communities.