The influence of dual-credit on college enrollment, persistence, and degree attainment

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between dual-credit hours attempted and higher education enrollment, persistence, and degree attainment. The study used data generated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The Chi-Square test was used with SPSS to answer the research questions and to test the hypothesis concerning students who took at least one dual-credit course while in a Texas high school and subsequently enrolled in a Texas institution of higher education in 2004. Now that the study is complete, Texas students, high schools, and institutions of higher education have a clearer picture regarding the influence of dual-credit hours on students who enroll in higher education after high school, persistence after the student's first year, and degree attainment. The results showed a statistically significant relationship between the dual-credit hours earned and where a student enrolled in higher education and how long a student takes to earn a bachelor's degree.