College credit program for WA high schoolers sees enrollment jump now that it’s free

About 10,000 more students enrolled in Washington’s College in the High School program in the first school year that the dual credit courses were free for all students.

That’s according to data from the Washington State Education Research and Data Center as well as the Council of Presidents, an association representing Washington’s public four-year colleges and universities.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation in 2022 making College in the High School classes free and the law went into effect in 2023.

College in the High School differs from other dual credit offerings in Washington – such as the popular Running Start program – because the courses are taught at high school by high school teachers using college curriculum and textbooks. College faculty and staff oversee the teachers.

“College in the High School was not made free in order to decimate Running Start,” said Angela Jones, the Gates Foundation’s Washington state director who works on increasing access to education. “We’re trying to have a strong education ecosystem … we need all of the choices.”

Jones noted 74% of College in the High School students enrolled in a postsecondary institution after high school, suggesting the program isn’t what she calls “random acts of dual credit” and that it is providing a path to higher education.

The program also differs from Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. That’s because College in the High School courses are hosted by Washington-area universities and community colleges and the classes directly translate to college credit.

Students can check how their course meets college credit requirements on a spreadsheet put together by Council of Presidents.

“College in the high school provides us with opportunities to be engaged in a full day of activities in their high school, while offering the opportunity of a rigorous course,” said Ruben Flores, executive director of Council of Presidents.

Flores said that because the classes are partnerships between districts and local universities, the course offerings can be better tailored to the specific needs or interests of the community.

Students can also take College in the High School classes without college credit, which Flores said allows them to experiment with a college-level course without worrying about their transcript.

Flores said interest in the program has skyrocketed among not only students, but also school districts, which like the program in part because it allows them to keep students on their campus, helping fill out their enrollment numbers.

The Council of Presidents does not have numbers on school district participation but has seen another one of its institutions begin offering college in the high school this year – Western Washington University. That means four out of Washington’s six public four-year universities offer a College in the High School course, Flores said.

While the data is positive so far, the Council of Presidents and the Washington State Education Research and Data Center hasn’t released data on racial and income demographics. Making College in the High School free was supposed to increase participation for students from low-income households, but it’s still up in the air whether that’s been the case.

Data from the 2023 cohort shows fewer low-income students on average graduating from College in the High School courses: About 28% were low-income. Jones said her team is still digging into the numbers, but she suspects it will show college counselors were more likely to recommend the program now that it’s not cost prohibitive.

“It is exciting to see how much it jumped,” Jones said about the enrollment numbers. “I think there was a multitude of reasons why it jumped, but not having to pay is super helpful.”

Jones added that she wants to make sure that the state “sticks the landing” ensuring students use those credits to get where they need to go.

“We don’t want them to take the class that doesn’t go anywhere,” Jones said. “That’s the last piece that I want to make sure that we stick.”