A Review of Empirical Studies on Dual Enrollment: Assessing Educational Outcomes

More than ever, high school students in the United States have ambitious educational goals. That is, most high school students expect to attend college regardless of their academic performance (Jackson & Kurlaender, 2014). In 1976, 50% of high school seniors planned to earn at least a bachelor’s degree. In 2000, the percentage of high school seniors planning to earn at least a bachelor’s degree increased to 78% (Reynolds, Stewart, Macdonald, & Sischo, 2006). Not surprisingly, the percentage of high school students that enrolled in college immediately after high school has also increased, from 9% in 1939–40 to 69% in 2015 (Clotfelter, Ehrenberg, Getz, & Siegfried, 1991; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2017).