Taking dual-credit courses in high school doesn’t save students much time or money in college, finds a new study by the American Institutes for Research.
The study, conducted for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, found credits from dual-enrollment programs decreased students’ average time to a college degree by only 1.2 months, about equal to one summer term.
Students who took dual-credit classes were 2.2 percentage points more likely to earn some kind of postsecondary credential, but benefits accrued primarily to white, more affluent students. Low-income students didn’t benefit from dual-credit courses.
