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The February 2026 report reveals that dual enrollment has nearly doubled over the past decade, growing from approximately 1.4 million students in 2013 to more than 2.8 million in the 2023-24 academic year. Community colleges enrolled two million of these students, representing 71% of all dual enrollment participants.
"High school students account for more than one in five community college enrollments," the report states, highlighting the significant role dual enrollment now plays in the community college sector.
Dual enrollment, in which high school students take college courses for credit, has become widespread across the nation. Currently, 82% of high schools offer dual enrollment courses, and about one-third of high school students have taken at least one dual enrollment course by graduation, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Among 2019 high school graduates who participated in dual enrollment, career and technical courses were most popular, taken by 44% of dual enrollment students. English courses followed at 37%, social sciences at 31%, and mathematics at 29%.
The report notes that dual enrollment encompasses various models, from intensive early college high schools where students may earn associate degrees by graduation, to more common à la carte models where students take one or more college courses. "The most common model of DE delivery is certified high school instructors teaching courses at the high school," the fact sheet states, with approximately 80% of dual enrollment students taking college courses at their own high schools rather than on college campuses.
Despite dual enrollment's growth and proven benefits, stark equity gaps remain. White students participate in dual enrollment at almost twice the rate of their Black and Hispanic classmates, according to research cited in the report. English learners and students with disabilities are also severely underrepresented in dual enrollment coursework.
The fact sheet includes a data visualization showing representation rates across demographic groups. While White students are overrepresented at 1.3 times their proportion of the student population, Black students participate at just 0.6 times their representation, and Hispanic students at 0.7 times. Students with disabilities and English language learners show even more dramatic underrepresentation, at 0.3 times their proportional representation.
"Access to DE is highly variable within states and even among high schools in the same school district," the report notes, suggesting that local policies and practices significantly influence who gains access to these opportunities.
The research identifies standardized placement tests as a significant barrier to equitable access. "Colleges and schools tend to rely on standardized placement tests for eligibility, even though researchers question their validity as predictors of college readiness and raise concerns that they perpetuate inequities," the fact sheet states.
However, policy changes show promise for addressing these gaps. An evaluation of an Ohio policy change found that "removing placement testing requirements and providing additional supports results in increased access to DE for Black and Hispanic high school students without changes to course success rates."
Notably, one in five school districts report nearly equal or higher rates of participation in dual enrollment among Black and Hispanic students, suggesting that equitable implementation is achievable.
Research demonstrates that dual enrollment improves academic outcomes, even in relatively small doses. "There is strong evidence that DE—even à la carte DE in relatively small doses—improves academic outcomes for students, including completing high school, enrolling in college, and completing college degrees," according to the report.
The benefits extend to historically underserved students. Dual enrollment "has been shown to benefit low-income students, Black and Hispanic students, and students who initially struggled academically in high school," the fact sheet notes.
Data from Texas suggests economic benefits as well. Taking dual enrollment courses is associated with moderate earnings gains by age 24, with dual enrollment students' earnings ranging from 27% to 40% higher than those of students with no accelerated coursework.
The report highlights that dual enrollment funding varies widely across states and systems, drawing from state, local, K-12, and student or family sources. Many community colleges subsidize dual enrollment through discounted or waived tuition and fees, and states and partnerships have increasingly aimed to reduce or eliminate students' out-of-pocket costs.
"DE can be financially sustainable for colleges if they implement DE strategically to expand the pool of future college-going students and increase the number of DE students continuing at their college after high school," the research indicates.
The fact sheet outlines strategies that dual enrollment partnerships with stronger results for underserved students employ: engaging in active outreach to underserved communities starting in middle school, using alternatives to testing such as high school grades for eligibility, aligning dual enrollment offerings to postsecondary degree programs, providing college advising to help students explore career interests, and supporting student success through high-quality instruction and comprehensive academic supports.
