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Unintended Consequences: Understanding the Relationship Between Dual Enrollment Participation, College Undermatch, and Bachelor’s Degree Attainment

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Abstract

Recent research suggests that dual enrollment programs are a useful recruiting tool for colleges and universities as many high school students remain at their dual enrollment institution after high school graduation. Students staying enrolled at their dual enrollment institution for college may be beneficial for institutions, but is it beneficial for participating dual enrollment students? We find that students who participate in dual enrollment in high school are more likely to experience college undermatch than similar students who do not participate in any postsecondary acceleration opportunities. Students who participate in a dual enrollment program at a 2-year institution and stay at the institution after high school graduation are up to 29% points more likely to undermatch than the average dual enrollment student enrolling in a different postsecondary institution after high school graduation. The difference is reduced to 9% points for dual enrollment students who stay at a four-year institution. Most significantly, our research shows that the decision to stay at a 2-year dual enrollment institution has negative consequences for bachelor’s degree attainment. Students who stay at a 2-year dual enrollment institution where they are undermatched have about a 33% point lower probability of completing a bachelor’s degree when compared to similar 2-year dual enrollment students who move to a 4-year institution where they are not undermatched after high school graduation.

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Notes

  1. We also considered a three-level model, students nested in high schools nested in states, as dual enrollment program policy and funding is often determined at the state-level and articulation agreements between community colleges and public 4-year universities can make a difference in students’ ability to move across institutions. The generalized ICC of the unconditional three-level model showed that less than 2% of the variability in undermatch is accounted for by state environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College Board, 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY, 10281, USA

    Sanja Jagesic, Jeffrey N. Wyatt & Jing Feng

  2. College Board, 800 Township Line Road, Suite 200, Yardley, PA, 19067, USA

    Maureen Ewing

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  1. Sanja Jagesic
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Jagesic, S., Ewing, M., Wyatt, J.N. et al. Unintended Consequences: Understanding the Relationship Between Dual Enrollment Participation, College Undermatch, and Bachelor’s Degree Attainment. Res High Educ 63, 119–139 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-021-09643-x

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