A Longitudinal Study Examining Dual Enrollment as a Strategy for Easing the Transition to College and Career for Emerging Adults

Henneberger, A. K., Witzen, H., & Preston, A. M. (2022). A Longitudinal Study Examining Dual Enrollment as a Strategy for Easing the Transition to College and Career for Emerging Adults. Emerging Adulthood, 10(1), 225-236.

Written By: John Fink

The main results from the statewide analysis are summarized below. Authors matched students who took at least one dual enrollment course in 12^th grade to other high school students with similar standardized algebra, English, and biology test scores, as well as similar socio-demographic and school attendance records. Although the authors used a robust set of academic and demographic variables to match students, statistical matching studies cannot be interpreted as causal, and the authors cannot rule out the possibility that earners are higher among dual enrollees because they three percentage points more likely to have employment records (suggesting they are employed in-state at higher rates).

Positive Outcomes of Dual Enrollment in Maryland

• College Enrollment: Dual enrollment in the 12^th grade is positively associated with increased college enrollment. Specifically, it leads to a 20 percentage-point increase in 2-year college enrollment immediately after high school, with significant effects on 4-year college enrollment growing over time (presumably as more students transfer to four-year institutions). Authors did not find a significant relationship between dual enrollment in the 12^th grade and immediate enrollment at a 4-year institution overall, but they did observe a significant positive relationship specifically for Black students.
• Degree Attainment: Dual enrollment students were about 15 percentage points more likely to earn any college degree and 9 percentage points more likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree compared to non-dually enrolled peers. The positive effect of dual enrollment on earning a bachelor’s degree was even stronger for Black dual enrollment students.
• Early Labor Market Earnings: Six years after high school, dual enrolment students earned approximately $1,800 more than to their matched peers who did not take dual enrollment in 12^th Authors suggest that the positive effect on earnings could be due to higher nonmissing wage records (e.g., higher in-state employment rates), but also because of earlier college completion or other factors not fully explored in the study, such as differences in industry sectors.

This study adds further evidence to decades of research showing that dual enrollment benefits participants. Notably, substantial gaps in access by race/ethnicity, gender, and income were also observed in the Maryland dual enrollment data, with Black, men, and free and reduced-price lunch (FRPL) eligible students underrepresented in dual enrollment. Findings showing the additional positive effects of dual enrollment participation for Black and FRPL students highlight the importance of expanding access to fully realize the potential of dual enrollment programs for increasing college attainment and economic opportunities for students.