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12 Jun 2015
Blog Post

Want a Faster, Cheaper Way to Get a College Degree? Start in High School

Clarisse Haxton

On the traditional school path, Step 1 is graduating from high school, Step 2 is going to college, and Step 3 is earning a credential or degree.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, overall student success at moving immediately from Step 1 to Step 2 is 66 percent. But there are wide variations by family income; 80 percent of students from high-income families go to college after high school versus 49 percent for students from low-income families. And overall, only about 59 percent of high school graduates who make it to Step 2 finish Step 3, earning a degree or credential within six years.

Some schools—in partnership with local colleges—are combining Steps 1 and 2. Through dual enrollment, students enroll in college courses and earn college credits while still in high school. One dual enrollment model, Early College, has six design features—among them, free college tuition for participating students.

As support for dual enrollment and Early College grows, finding help for states, districts, and colleges to cover tuition costs is key to promoting access for all students.

Last  month, Senators Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) proposed the “Go to High School, Go to College Act of 2015,” which would extend Pell Grant funding for eligible Early College high school students to use for transferable college credits from accredited institutions of higher education. The proposed legislation would reimburse Early Colleges for tuition and fees for Pell-eligible students based on the number of college credits completed—up to an associate’s degree or four semesters of college coursework.

The bill highlights AIR’s Early College impact study, released in 2013 and updated in 2014, which found that Early College students are more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in college, and earn college degrees than comparison students. The study also found that Early College students received more information about college and reported a stronger college-going culture at their schools than their peers in other high schools.

In our study, students in Early College earned associate’s and bachelor’s degrees at significantly higher rates than their peers. They also earned their degrees earlier. Two years out of high school, 24 percent of Early College students had earned a postsecondary degree, relative to 2 percent of comparison students.

Although the gap in enrollment rates and degrees between the two groups decreased over time, comparison students’ did not catch up to Early College students during the study period—two to four years after high school graduation.

Following students for six years after high school graduation would answer the remaining question: Does Early College act primarily as an accelerating mechanism to get students into college? Or does it improve rates of overall degree completion? AIR is currently working to answer that question.

Related Projects

ECHSimage.jpg

Project

Evaluating the Impact of Early College High Schools

Early Colleges partner with colleges and universities to offer students an opportunity to earn an associate’s degree or up to two years of college credits toward a bachelor’s degree during high school at no or low cost to their families. In partnership with SRI International, AIR evaluated the Early College High School Initiative using qualitative and quantitative data sources to document and describe the implementation of this initiative and the performance of students, particularly in comparison to other students.

Related Work

16 Mar 2005
Report

Early College High School Initiative: Evaluation Year End Report: 2003–2004 (2005)

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Early College High School Initiative (ECHSI) seeks to create a network of small schools that blend high school and college experiences. Early College High Schools (ECHSs) are designed to provide students with the opportunity to earn 2 years of college credit in a compressed time frame at public expense while simultaneously earning a high school diploma. The ECHSI is intended to serve students from groups traditionally under-served and underrepresented in higher education and is targeted to first-generation, low-income, English language learner, and minority students. 

26 Jun 2013
Report

Early College, Early Success: Early College High School Initiative Impact Study (2013)

Early College programs provide underserved students with exposure to, and support in, college while they are in high school. This study finds that Early College students were significantly more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in—and graduate from—college than their peers who did not take part in the program.
Topic: 
College and Career Readiness, Postsecondary Education
3 May 2006
Report

Early College High School Initiative: 2003-2005 Evaluation Report (2006)

This report is the second annual synthesis report on the national evaluation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Early College High School Initiative.

Topic: 
Education, College and Career Readiness
9 Mar 2005
Report

Early College High Schools: Early Recruitment and Selection Strategies (2005)

An essential goal of the Early College High School Initiative is to educate traditionally underserved students. This paper summarizes the strategies Early College High Schools have adopted to overcome the initial hurdle of attracting and enrolling targeted students.

Further Reading

  • Evidence of Effectiveness for Early College High Schools
  • Early College, Early Success: Early College High School Initiative Impact Study (2013)
  • Students in Early College High School Initiative “Significantly More Likely” to Go to College and Earn a Degree, Study Finds
  • Early College High Schools Have a Positive Impact on Postsecondary Enrollment and Success
  • Early College, Continued Success: Early College High School Initiative Impact Study (2014)
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Topic

Education
College and Career Readiness
Equity in Education
Postsecondary Education

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