2.8 Million Students Take Dual Enrollment

More American high schoolers are taking college courses than ever before. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center confirmed that dual enrollment participation more than doubled over the past decade, growing from approximately 1.4 million students in 2013 to more than 2.8 million in 2023-24.¹

That's not a minor trend. That's a structural shift in how American students enter higher education.

But a study published through Inside Higher Ed on May 20, 2026, paints a more complicated picture. Researchers from the Helios Education Foundation and Florida State University found that despite the surge in participation, most dual enrollment students receive far less support than they need — and the gap between taking college courses and actually building a real pathway to a degree is wider than most families realize.²

What the Research Found

The Helios/FSU study identified three recurring problems across dual enrollment programs:

No clear advising. Many students take courses without a connection to a clear academic or career pathway. They pick classes based on availability or interest — not based on what will count toward a specific college degree or credential.

No transition support. Dual enrollment students often finish high school without preparation for what full-time college actually looks like: fewer structured checkpoints, professors who don't track attendance, and a pace that doesn't slow down if you fall behind.

No academic planning. Students frequently discover after the fact that courses taken at one institution don't transfer to the four-year school they ultimately attend.

Not all dual enrollment credits transfer everywhere. A course at your local community college may transfer to State U — but not to a private university in another state. Before registering, ask your target college directly: "Will this specific course, from this specific institution, transfer as credit toward my intended major?" Get it in writing.

The Numbers Behind the Growth

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's final fall 2025 enrollment report showed community colleges — the primary home of dual enrollment programs — grew 3 percent year-over-year in fall 2025, the strongest growth of any institutional sector.¹ Short-term credential programs at community colleges grew 6 percent in the same period.

That growth is partly driven by dual enrollment. But community colleges are also serving more adult learners and workforce-training students, which means dual enrollment students are often competing for advising time with a much broader population of learners.

2.8M

What Makes Dual Enrollment Work

Not every dual enrollment story ends in wasted credits. Programs that show better outcomes share a few common characteristics.

The Community College Research Center developed a framework called Dual Enrollment Equity Pathways (DEEP) that identifies what successful programs do differently: they partner directly with high schools, align courses with specific college and career pathways, and provide advising from both high school and college staff — not just a course catalog and a registration link.

That's a meaningfully different experience from signing up for a community college class because it fits into your schedule.

What Families Should Do

If your student is considering dual enrollment — or already enrolled — treat it like any other college decision. Start with the dual enrollment vs. AP credit comparison to understand which path fits your situation, then ask three questions before any enrollment:

1. Will this credit transfer to the schools on my list? Get the answer directly from those colleges' admissions offices.
2. Is this course connected to a pathway? One random class isn't a plan. Three courses that count toward a declared major is.
3. What support exists if I struggle? Ask whether the college provides tutoring and advising that's accessible to dual enrollment students specifically.

For context on how college credits work and what counts toward a degree, our explainer on college credits walks through the mechanics. If your student is considering community college as a full transfer path, the community college transfer guide explains how to make it work efficiently.

The Cost Case Is Real — When Done Right

The average annual cost of community college runs roughly $3,800 — compared to $11,000 or more at public four-year schools. Completing a semester or a year of credits before arriving on a four-year campus can meaningfully reduce total degree cost.

But the Helios research makes clear that participation alone doesn't produce those savings. Advising, pathway alignment, and transfer planning are what turn dual enrollment from a scheduling convenience into a real financial and academic strategy. For families using dual enrollment to build a college plan with affordability in mind, those conversations need to happen before registration, not after.

And for students already on the transfer track, the rise in transfer enrollment across the country suggests more students are thinking carefully about sequencing their college years. Dual enrollment can be the first move in that sequence — but only if it's planned that way.

Footnotes

1. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2026, January). Final Fall Enrollment Trends. National Student Clearinghouse. https://nscresearchcenter.org/final-fall-enrollment-trends/ ↩ ↩²

2. Helios Education Foundation; Florida State University. Reported in: Inside Higher Ed. (2026, May 20). Dual-Enrollment Students Need More Support. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2026/05/20/dual-enrollment-students-need-more-support ↩