Using data from the University of Missouri, the researchers of this study investigate whether students who enter college with dual-enrollment credit and/or advanced placement (AP) credit achieve higher first-year grade point averages (GPAs) and demonstrate higher rates of retention; and, if so, whether those effects differ by the type of dual credit courses taken. Results indicate that, after controlling for prior academic achievement, students with AP credit, or those who obtain both dual enrollment and AP credit, perform better on average in their first year of college as indicated by higher first-year GPA compared to students who receive only dual enrollment credit or no college credit. These same students also demonstrated higher rates of retention after their first year. The authors also found that first-year GPA was higher among students who received their dual enrollment credits from a four-year, versus a two-year, institution.
