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Dual Credit and Advanced Placement

Dual Credit and Advanced Placement: Do They Help Prepare Students for Success in College? 2002 MidAIR and 2003 AIR Conference

The number of courses offered in high schools that provide both college and high school credit has proliferated in recent years. This study examines the relationship between students who take dual credit and /or advanced placement (AP) in high school and their college academic performance and first-year retention. Results show that, holding ability indicators constant, students with AP credit tend to get higher first-year GPA's while those with dual credit do not. However, both groups return at a higher rate than other students. It also appears that the institutional type granting the dual credit is significant. Holding ability indicators constant, those receiving dual credit at two-year institutions tend to get lower first-year GPA's. The type of institution from which the dual credit was earned did not significantly affect the student's return for the following fall term.

Reviewed 2022-04-06