College completion rates remain one of the most pressing priorities for higher education and our regional economy. In Ventura County, the challenge is both expanding access and ensuring students persist and graduate. Achieving these outcomes requires intentional strategies that are evidence-based and equity-driven.
Dual enrollment is one such strategy.
Dual enrollment — enrolling in college coursework while still in high school — has consistently demonstrated positive impacts on college access, persistence, and degree attainment. Increasing the number of dual-enrolled students is at the heart of statewide directives — such as the California Community Colleges Vision 2030 and the Governor’s Roadmap — especially for students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. The intent is to expand participation and get more high school students across the finish line with college credits or degrees.
Research from Public Policy Institute of California shows that students who participate in dual enrollment are 12 percentage points more likely to enroll in college than their peers. Even more compelling, dual enrollment has a formative impact on historically underserved students. The data indicates that students of color who participate in dual enrollment are 7-10 percentage points more likely to complete a degree within six years compared to similar peers who do not participate.
At Ventura College, dual enrollment participation has increased by 67% between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 academic years. Notably, students enrolled in College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) courses, which are offered directly on high school campuses, have a higher percentage of underrepresented communities than classes held at Ventura College campus. Offering dual enrollment classes on high school campuses removes a myriad of barriers for students and their families.
When dual enrollment is embedded within the high school environment — aligned with the school day and coupled with timely support — participation significantly broadens. Conversely, when students must navigate college systems and college-going culture independently, participation and success become more limited, often reflecting disparities in access to information, resources, and institutional support.
The impact of dual enrollment extends far beyond metrics. For many students, particularly those from historically underserved backgrounds, enrolling in a college course while still in high school changes how they see themselves. It reinforces a powerful belief: I belong in college. I can succeed here. Early exposure to college-level culture, coupled with successful course completion, builds the sense of belonging that research consistently links to persistence and completion.
The long-term benefits are equally well-documented. According to the Community College Research Center, students who participate in dual enrollment are 23% more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, promising research indicates that dual enrollment students experience 9-12% higher earnings by their late 20s compared to peers who did not participate.
In a region where economic mobility is closely tied to educational attainment, these outcomes have positive implications for students, families, and the broader community.
While Advanced Placement (AP) courses play an important role in providing students with access to rigorous academic opportunities, AP courses rely on a single high-stakes examination for college credit. Dual enrollment, by contrast, allows students to earn transcripted college credit through sustained engagement with faculty. For many students this experience is a more accessible and reliable pathway into higher education.
Ventura County is making significant and sustainable progress in advancing post-secondary educational opportunities, and dual enrollment is a central component of our strategy. Across our K-12 districts and higher education partners — Ventura College, Moorpark College, Oxnard College, California Lutheran and California State University Channel Islands — we are seeing stronger alignment, deeper collaboration, and building momentum toward student success.
In an ideal future state, dual enrollment is embedded within a broader college-going culture that begins well before high school — introduced in early grades, reinforced in middle school, and fully realized through structured opportunities in high school that extend seamlessly into college and career.
Now is the time to expand this pathway to college completion by beginning earlier, building momentum in high school, and extends into college and career with clarity and purpose. Ventura County is intentionally designing that pathway and making it widely accessible.
When students engage in college-level work sooner, build confidence through experience, and progressing with a clearer sense of direction, their trajectory shifts in lasting ways — all of which benefit and impact the strength and future of our region.
Dr. Luca Lewis is the Interim President of Ventura College. To learn more about Ventura College, visit Ventura College.edu.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Dual enrollment is key to college completion in county | Your Turn
Reporting by Dr. Luca Lewis, Your Turn / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
