Dual Credit Enrollment Increases, Reflects Value for Families

This fall, Parkland College's "Early College" dual credit programs overall have experienced a 3.1 percent enrollment increase over Fall 2023 figures.

Increases in dual credit enrollments at Parkland College, resembling boosts at community colleges statewide, reflect the value District 505 high school students and their parents are placing on the program. 

This fall, Parkland College's "Early College" dual credit programs overall have experienced a 3.1 percent enrollment increase over Fall 2023 figures, serving 1,158 district high school students. Parkland's Early College students take dual credit courses taught in area high schools, at Parkland's campus, and through enrollment in the Early College and Career Academy, a joint effort of Education for Employment System #330 (a K-12 Career and Technical Education cooperative) and Parkland.

The ECCA is experiencing a record enrollment this fall, serving approximately 235 area high school juniors and seniors through technical courses in Construction, Education, Precision Agriculture, and other programs.

Parkland College President Pamela Lau said District 505 students and parents are recognizing how dual credit can positively affect progress toward college and careers. 

"High school students who are interested in getting a head start on college and taking a shorter path to a rewarding career will find that dual credit is an excellent option," Lau said. "More District 505 families are finding that not only is dual credit affordable, it prepares students for their next steps after high school due to the academic rigor and transferability of Parkland courses."

According to a 2024 report by the Illinois Community College Board*, Illinois community colleges offered 14,638 dual credit courses across the state in FY23, enrolling more than 82,600 individual high school students in one or more dual credit courses—an increase of 8.1 percent from the previous year.

All 48 Illinois community colleges offer dual credit courses. Through dual credit, community colleges are increasing access to higher education by preparing high school students for college-level coursework and lowering college costs by shortening the time it takes to complete a college degree. High school students who take dual credit courses have substantially higher community college graduation rates and advancement rates than those students who did not enroll in dual credit coursework, according to the ICCB.

One such student, Parkland College Early College graduate Amina Alamin, earned her high school diploma and Parkland's General Education Core Curriculum at the same time this past May. She said the Early College program adequately prepared her for advanced university transfer. Completing the GECC sequence earned her the Gen Ed Certificate, a low-cost option for transfer accepted by all Illinois public (and many private) four-year colleges and universities.

"Taking GECC classes has been beneficial to my life even outside of school," Alamin said. "Making connections through GECC has provided a place of mutual support and encouragement, making my journey all the more meaningful. It offers a fantastic opportunity for young individuals to kick-start their college journey." 
                                                                                                                                                
*Illinois Community College Board. (2024). Dual Credit in the Illinois Community College System in Fiscal Year 2023. Springfield, IL: Author.