Most High Schools Offer College-Credit Work

A vast majority of U.S. high schools offered their students courses for college credit in 2002-03, with larger public schools more likely than smaller ones to do so, reveals a federal report unveiled this month.

The report from the National Center for Education Statistics looks at the availability of “dual credit” courses—those for which students can earn both high school and college credit—and at exam-based programs such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate at public high schools.

It found that 71 percent of schools offered dual-credit courses during the 2002-03 academic year. Sixty-seven percent offered AP courses, and...