Dual credit programs allow high school students to enroll in college classes and earn credit toward high school graduation and a college degree. By exposing participants to college coursework, dual credit programs ease the transition to college, particularly for traditionally underrepresented students. These programs aim to increase the rate of college-going and successful college attainment for all participants.
This data story illustrates the dual credit journey of Hawaiʻi public schools.
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Explore this data story
How have dual credit programs expanded in Hawaiʻi over the last decade?
Students
Dual credit participation among public high school students greatly increased from School Year 2014-2015 (14-15) to 2021-2022 (21-22).
Schools
Public high schools with Early College classes increased to 57 schools since 2014-2015 (14-15).
Grade Level
An increasing number of students from the lower grade levels are taking dual credit courses.
Courses
The number of unique dual credit courses taken by public high school students per school has increased 41% since 2014-2015.
Top 10 Most Popular Dual Credit Courses in 2021-2022
| Rank | Course | # Enrolled |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ENGLISH 100 | 1,197 |
| 2 | PSYCHOLOGY 100 | 801 |
| 3 | SPEECH 151 | 394 |
| 4 | HISTORY 152 | 298 |
| 5 | HAWAIIAN STUDIES 107 | 240 |
| 6 | INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 103 | 238 |
| 7 | MATH 103 | 192 |
| 8 | SOCIOLOGY 100 | 181 |
| 9 | INFO & COMPUTER SCIENCE 101 | 161 |
| 10 | MATH 100 | 156 |
| 357 Other Courses | 4,955 |
Statewide Participation
Dual credit programs have expanded to benefit students across the entire State of Hawai‘i.
Note: Click on the arrows to toggle the years 2014–2015 and 2021–2022.
UH Campus
Public High School Students Served
To what degree have dual credit programs reached Hawaiʻi’s diverse student population?
NOTE: Graphs in this section show the statewide percentage of dual credit participants as a reference.
The sub-group(s) whose percent is above the statewide line indicate that the population is over-represented relative to the other sub-group(s).
Gender
While males makes up 52% of public high school students, females are more likely than males to participate.
Race/Ethnicity
There are race/ethnicity differences in participation rates among dual credit students. Over the eight years of data represented in this graph, growth has been strongest for populations that are underrepresented in higher education including Native Hawaiians, Filipinos, and Pacific Islanders.
Economically Disadvantaged
While more than 40% of public school high school students are economically disadvantaged, participation rates have grown faster for non-disadvantaged students.
English Learners (EL)
EL students represent less than 10% of public school students. EL participation rates have increased over time from a low of 0.5% in School Year 2016-2017 to 3.9% in 2021-2022.
Are dual credit participants in Hawaiʻi more likely to attend and successfully complete college?
Graduates
The proportion of public high school graduates participating in dual credit increased from 10% of the Class of 2015 to 22% of the Class of 2022.
Graduates First Fall College Enrollment Rate
Historically, the proportion of dual credit public high school graduates enrolling into college the first fall after high school graduation has been about 29% higher than graduates who do not participate in dual credit.
NOTE: Classes of 2020 – 2022 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
College Enrollment
Graduates participating in dual credit are more likely than non-participants to attend college at an UH campus or on the continent.
Campuses Attended
Dual Credit Participants
Public High School Class of 2022
| UH Campuses Attended | % |
|---|---|
| UH Mānoa | 18% |
| Leeward Community College | 5% |
| Kapiʻolani Community College | 4% |
| UH Hilo | 4% |
| Maui College | 3% |
| Kauaʻi Community College | 3% |
| Windward Community College | 3% |
| Hawaiʻi Community College | 2% |
| UH West Oʻahu | 2% |
| Honolulu Community College | 1% |
Dual Credit Non-Participants
Public High School Class of 2022
| UH Campuses Attended | % |
|---|---|
| UH Mānoa | 8% |
| Leeward Community College | 4% |
| Kapiʻolani Community College | 4% |
| Maui College | 2% |
| Windward Community College | 2% |
| Hawaiʻi Community College | 2% |
| Honolulu Community College | 2% |
| Kauaʻi Community College | 1% |
| UH Hilo | 1% |
| UH West Oʻahu | 1% |
Enrollment and Completion
Graduates participating in dual credit are more likely than non-participants to enroll in college within 6 years of completing high school and earn a college award.
NOTE: These values are for the Class of 2015 – Class of 2021 pooled together.
Enrollment within 6 years
The portion of graduates that enrolled in college within 6 years of completing high school is 89% for dual credit graduates compared to 66% for non-dual credit graduates.
College Award with 6 years
The portion of graduates that earned a college award within 6 years of completing high school is: 57% for dual credit graduates compared to 31% for non-dual credit graduates.
Key Findings
Note: Due to the different student matching process that DXP uses, dual credit participant numbers in this dual credit data story may not completely align to individual UH or HIDOE reports.
The creation of this data story was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant 84.372A (Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems) to the Hawai‘i State Department of Education. The opinions expressed are those of Hawai‘i P-20 Partnerships for Education and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.