Dual enrollment grows as high schools make it convenient

NORTHEAST WIS. – To prepare for the rigor of college or a skills-based career, a growing number of students are skipping ahead by squeezing dual-enrollment college-credit courses into their high school schedules.

About 28% of Oconto Falls High School students completed dual-enrollment courses in 2023, while about 12% were enrolled in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, according to a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report.

That number is consistent with other rural school districts, Wisconsin Policy Forum said. High schools in rural areas had a dual enrollment participation rate of about 28% in 2022-2023, while schools in towns had a 30% participation rate, Wisconsin Policy Forum said.

The trend toward early-college coursework in high school accompanies a focus on career-tech education in many school districts, including Oconto Falls, that’s conducive to dual enrollment courses and apprenticeship programs.

Looking ahead, Wisconsin’s rapidly growing Youth Apprenticeship Program, which received over $6 million in the 2025-27 biennium budget bill Gov. Tony Evers signed into law July 3, and is expected to expand.

The program offers high school students the opportunity to be paid while they learn workforce skills in high demand. Statewide, the program enrolled 11,344 youth apprentices in the most recent academic year, up 14% from the prior year, the governor’s office said.

“Apprentices represent Wisconsin’s future healthcare providers, construction workers, teachers, childcare providers, manufacturers and much more,” Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek said in a statement earlier this year.

Practical skills learning is popular with students at Oconto Falls High School, which offers a variety of dual enrollment offerings, said Superintendent Stuart Russ.

“I have seen more of a shift in our building away from the AP option to the dual enrollment option,” Russ said. “We have a large number of seniors who will take our NWTC English composition course, and we have also expanded our offerings in the area of math with St. Norbert’s College, social studies with UW-Green Bay as well as health sciences with our recent partnership with the Bellin Healthcare Academy.”

Statewide, many high schools are making it more convenient for students to participate in dual-enrollment programs and career-based courses “with the intention of preparing students for specific occupations,” Wisconsin Policy Forum said.

The top dual-enrollment courses at Wisconsin Technical College System schools in 2024 were medical terminology, introduction to psychology, oral and interpersonal communications, introduction to sociology, and English composition, according to a new report from Wisconsin Policy Forum.

In 2023, about 68,000 students in Wisconsin public high schools participated in dual enrollment, up from about 40,000 participating students in 2015.

In explaining the differences between dual enrollment and AP courses, Wisconsin Policy Forum said, “Advanced Placement has a strong reputation at the national level and is viewed as a more universal option for students who enroll in private or out-of-state colleges. However, the potential for a student to earn credit is based on a single, high-stakes test and whether a college accepts the AP score achieved.”

By participating in dual enrollment, students take a college level course and have less riding on just one test.

“Every course is different,” Russ said. “For many of the dual enrollment courses, students must apply and be admitted to the college/university that they are taking the courses through in order to receive the credit. Depending on the university, students may also need to pay for the college credits after successfully completing the course in order to receive the credits.”

Wisconsin Public Forum compiled data from the Wisconsin Department of Administration and DPI and reported the following participating rates by school district:

• In Coleman, about 65% of high school students participated in at least one dual-enrollment course in 2022-23, while about 3% were enrolled in AP or IB courses in high school.
•  At Oconto Unified School District, about 57% of students were enrolled in dual-enrollment courses, while about 8% participated in AP or IB courses.
• In Lena, about 42% of students participated in dual-enrollment courses, while none were enrolled in AP or IB courses, the report said.
• In Peshtigo, about 46% of high school students participated in dual enrollment courses, while 14% were enrolled in AP and IB classes.
• In Crivitz, 32% of high school students were enrolled in at least one dual-enrollment course, while about 12% participated in an AP or IB course.
• In Marinette, 28% of students participated in a dual-enrollment course, while 1% were enrolled in AP or IB courses in high school.
• In Suring, about 14% of high school students participated in dual-enrollment courses, while none were enrolled in AP or IB courses, according to the report.
• In Wausaukee, about 13% of high school students participated in dual-enrollment courses, while 4% were enrolled in AP and IB courses.

High school students can earn postsecondary credits three different ways, Russ said.

AP courses are offered as part of the high school curriculum, and high school staff teach these courses, which involve taking an exam at the end of the semester. In general, students interested in applying for college credit must score a three or higher on the AP test on a scale of five, he said.

“Generally speaking, a score of three is considered passing, though some colleges and universities will only award credit for a score of four or higher on the exam,” he said. Successful completion of AP courses may allow the student to start college enrolled in second-year courses, but most U.S. higher-education schools don’t count AP credits toward graduation requirements, so students might not graduate earlier.

For dual-enrollment courses, students are enrolled in the college-level course and receive both a high school credit and a college credit for completing the course, Russ said. High school staff teach the courses in most cases.

Besides taking college courses as part of the school day, Youth Apprenticeship (YA) opportunities providing wages and real-world experience to high school students are expected to grow.

Statewide, the pathways with the greatest number of participants during the most recent school years were health science with 2,089 participants, manufacturing with 1,510 participants, marketing with 1,415 participants, architecture and construction with 1,409 participants, and agriculture, food and natural resources with 1,303 participants, according to the governor’s office.

“Schools, employers, and local YA consortiums are preparing youth apprentices for the next step, whether that’s registered apprenticeship, higher education, or standard employment,” said the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards Director David Polk. “Together, we ensure that our state’s youth apprentices are equipped for whatever their future holds.”