Dual enrollment, a program that allows high school students to take college courses and earn both high school and college credit at the same time, continues to be a popular journey undertaken by many local high schoolers.

Recent data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that during the 2022-23 school year, nearly 2.5 million high school students took at least one dual enrollment course. In 2021, there were around 1.4 million students taking a dual enrollment course.

Dual enrollment can help students enter college with general education requirements completed, give students a jump start on their college education and develop essential skills, experts say.

These credits are often transferable to many public universities in South Carolina; however, students should check with universities to see their academic requirements.

In Lexington County, schools are offering this to their students.

Lexington County School District One is partnered with Piedmont Technical College, Midlands Technical College and USC Sumter for dual enrollment courses. Students at Lexington One require permission from their high school counselor to participate, must be South Carolina residents, must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and must be in 11^th or 12^th grade.

Some courses offered for students at Lexington One consist of college chemistry, physics, American government, English composition, critical reading, introduction to psychology and more.

Lexington County School District Two has a partnership with Midlands Technical College. For students to qualify, they must be a rising 11^th or 12^th grader, be in good standing, have principal and counselor recommendations, meet Midlands Technical College entrance requirements for college-level courses and students must commit to a minimum of two classes each semester.

Similarly, Lexington County School DistrictThree is partnered with Midlands Technical College where students can access over 20 courses. Batesburg-Leesville High School has teachers who are certified MTC instructors, allowing students to take the courses as a part of their day-to-day schedule.

In Lexington County School District Four's Swansea High School, students can take two college-level courses per semester through Midlands Technical College. Course offerings consist of American history, criminal justice, music appreciation, medical terminology, medical careers and more.

Lexington-Richland School District Five’s partnership with Midlands Technical lets students take classes at the Career and Technology Center; asynchronous courses require students to have study hall built into their daily schedule.

Students at Lexington-Richland Five have two options for participation in dual enrollment: stand-alone course enrollment and certificate enrollment. Stand-alone course enrollment allows students classified as juniors and seniors to take courses in person, asynchronously or in a hybrid format.

For the certificate enrollment, students classified as sophomores receive a certificate in general studies or public health.

A study done by the Community College Research Center in 2024 shows that the program is helping students be more prepared for college and academic improvement.