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Across the Valley, students are immersed in learning as teachers provide advanced coursework through lectures, engaging discussions, and hands-on learning experiences.
This might sound like a typical college class, but these students haven’t even left their high school campus. Dual enrollment is just one of the ways Maricopa Community Colleges supports teens in their pursuit of earning a college degree.
“Our goal is to create a college-going mindset for students across the county,” said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, Chancellor of Maricopa Community Colleges, in a prepared statement. “Through dual enrollment, we are making higher education more accessible, helping students gain the skills they need to thrive while preparing them for the next step of their academic journey.”
A Smart Start for College Success
Arizona requires 22 credits to graduate from high school, and by taking dual enrollment classes, students earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. As higher education costs continue to rise, dual enrollment remains an affordable solution for students to get a head start on college.
“I took advantage of dual enrollment opportunities at my high school because I don’t want to start off going to a university, I’d rather start at Mesa Community College and be able to get at least my first two years out of the way, without having to pay a large sum of money,” said Eliana, a 2025 graduate of Westwood High School and Mesa Community College.
Here’s how dual enrollment sets students up for success:
•Expands College Access: Dual enrollment exposes students to college-level work, preparing them for the academic rigors of college coursework and helping ease the transition from high school to college.
•Graduate Ahead of Peers: Dual enrollment helps students to complete college general education requirements early, with some earning associate or bachelor’s degrees before earning a high school diploma.
•Reduce Student Loan Debt: Maricopa Community Colleges offer these courses at a fraction of the cost of a traditional in-state university credit hours, easing financial burdens for families.
Nationwide, 90% of public high schools offer dual enrollment, with 2.8 million students participating each year, according to a press release.
Community colleges serve nearly 75% of these students. In Arizona, 91% of students take dual enrollment courses through their local community college, and last academic year, over 25,800 high schoolers took dual enrollment courses through Maricopa Community Colleges, the release states.
“What you’re learning is going to be exactly what you would learn in a college classroom since the high school teachers have met the requirements to teach a college class,” said Dr. Catrina Kranich, Dean of Student Affairs at Estrella Mountain Community College.
