Start college in high school
College may be four years away, but you can actually earn credit for college while you're still in high school.
Texas public schools are required to offer at least one way for students to take advanced coursework and earn college credit in high school.
You’ll need to meet with your counselor before enrolling in any of these advanced courses. Here are a few questions you can ask to get the conversation started:
- What opportunities to earn college credit are available in ninth grade? How about later in high school?
- What can I do this year to prepare for advanced coursework later in high school?
- What type of prerequisites (other courses or specific assessment requirements) do I need to meet to take advanced courses?
- How can I prepare for and take any college readiness assessments required for college-level classes?
What you need to know to get started
Before you can sign up for college credit classes, make sure you learn about any prerequisite courses or other eligibility requirements you need to meet before enrolling.
College credit prerequisites
Prerequisites are classes required before taking a higher-level course. The first level of many classes are the prerequisites for future classes. For example, students generally have to take Algebra I before taking Geometry, and English I before English II. This is also true for endorsement-area classes (Business and Industry, Arts and Humanities, Public Service, STEM, and Multidisciplinary Studies), which have an introductory class in ninth grade before you move up to the next level.
With college credit courses, you may need to take a certain Pre-AP course before enrolling in an AP course in the same subject. Talking to your counselor about these specifics can help ensure that you're on track now to take the courses you want to take later in high school.
With dual credit courses, you’ll need to meet college readiness requirements outlined through the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). You should talk to your counselor about when TSIA testing is available on your campus and what the school's policy is for retesting if you don't meet required benchmarks the first time you test.
Transferring college credits after graduation
Earning college credit in high school is an amazing opportunity, but unfortunately, the credits you earn in high school may not always be treated the same by every college you're hoping to attend.
AP and IB exams
Although both AP and IB exams have a standard range of scores that qualify for college credit, your future college will ultimately determine whether credit gets awarded. The college will also decide which courses they offer are equivalent to the AP or IB subjects that you demonstrated mastery in.
Dual credit
When it comes to dual credit classes, credits can be tricky. If you attend a public college or university in Texas, your credits are more likely to transfer. However, there's still a risk that a certain class you took in high school won't meet the requirements of your college graduation plan. In this scenario, you would likely have to take additional college classes.
And if you opt to attend a private college or university, or any institution outside of Texas, there may be additional complications for dual credit work. Depending on how many credits you earn, you may qualify as a transfer student rather than first-time freshmen, which may not be the best option for you financially.
For all these reasons and more, it's very important you talk to your counselor before signing up for advanced coursework and that you understand how the credits you earn in high school may impact your college and career plans.