For years, Advanced Placement courses have been the clearest indicator of academic rigor. The weighted GPA boost, the possibility of college credit, and the reputation attached to AP classes made them feel like the obvious path for students aiming for competitive colleges. Many students still fill their schedules with APs and spend months preparing for a single exam that could determine whether their work counts for anything.
But more students are starting to look at this from a different perspective: dual enrollment.
Dual enrollment allows high school students to take actual college classes, usually through local community colleges, and earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. For some students, it feels less like a backup plan and more like a better option.
With AP courses, earning credit depends on one exam scored from 1 to 5. Dual enrollment works differently. If a student passes the class, the credit is theirs. That means many seniors graduate with not only a diploma but also a college transcript showing classes they have already completed.
“Dual enrollment gave me a glimpse of what college actually is,” said Arden Katz, a junior at Legacy Magnet Academy. “I like the environment and the way the courses are structured.”
Katz has taken several courses through Irvine Valley College, including Spanish 1, 2, and 3, Intro to Communications, and Pathways to Success.
“You learn how to manage your time, talk to professors, and adjust to new academic environments,” Katz said.
The shift toward dual enrollment is happening across the country. In the 2023–24 school year, about 2.8 million high school students were enrolled in dual enrollment programs, a 12.7 percent increase from the year before, according to the Community College Research Center. Over the last decade, participation has nearly doubled, growing from roughly 1.4 million students in 2013 to more than 2.8 million today, as reported by The Edu Ledger.
Around 89 percent of U.S. high schools now offer some form of dual enrollment, according to the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. Educators say the benefits go beyond credit.
“What I see with dual enrollment students is confidence,” says Molly Healey, a teacher at Legacy Magnet Academy. “They’ve already learned how to email a professor, meet deadlines that aren’t flexible, and advocate for themselves. By the time they graduate, college won’t feel unfamiliar.”
Dual enrollment can also open doors for students who might not picture themselves on a traditional college campus. Taking classes through a community college lets students experience higher education without the cost and pressure that usually come with it.
The workload is still rigorous, but it feels different from AP. Instead of everything resting on one test in May, students are graded through essays, projects, discussions, and exams spread across a semester, closer to what college is actually like.
The debate of AP vs. dual enrollment has sparked conversation. Some argue that AP courses remain more widely recognized by top universities and maintain a consistent national standard, whether or not you decide to submit your score. But for others, the real-world relevance, extensive course choices, and transferable credits of dual enrollment hold stronger appeal.
Personally, I would much rather take Intro to Art History through my local community college than APUSH. And colleges seem to be noticing the difference. Many admissions offices now view strong grades in college courses as equally meaningful, and in some cases, more meaningful, than an AP test score, according to Research.com.
As more students swap AP textbooks for college syllabi, one thing is evident: academia is not a one size fits all journey; it’s constantly evolving. The rise of dual enrollment calls for a new era of learning, one where students don’t have to wait until graduation to start their college journey. For this generation, being “college-ready” doesn’t just mean passing a test; it means already living the experience.
