• College Credit

Dual Credit

Columbia Area Career Center offers multiple dual credit courses taught by teachers who have the necessary credentials to be approved as adjunct lecturers by the partner college. For each course the curriculum has been reviewed and is equivalent to a corresponding college-level course, allowing students to simultaneously earn high school and college credit. Unlike AP and PLTW courses, no end-of-course test score is required to earn credit. The credits earned and the grade received in the class appear on both the high school and college transcripts. 

Note: Dual enrollment refers to high school students who enroll in a college course that is taught by college instructors.

35

CACC courses offer dual credit

3,947

CACC students have earned dual credit since 2003

$3,000,000+

Estimated tuition dollars saved since 2003

10

Project Lead The Way courses

24

CACC Instructors serve as university faculty or certified through PLTW

FAQs

As most credit is transferable among accredited institutions, earning college credit as a high school student allows you a jump start on college credits at significant savings in tuition. In addition, dual credit shows colleges you are academically ready to succeed at the postsecondary level.

Yes. Each institution has specific eligibility requirements such as class standing and a minimum GPA (typically 2.5 or 3.0) required to enroll. Applications also require counselor and parent approvals. Eligibility guidelines are clearly stated in the information distributed at the beginning of the course.

Since you will be concurrently enrolled in both the high school and college courses, the application deadlines are within the first couple of weeks of the course. Your instructor will provide details and the CACC dual credit team is here to help with any questions. Pay close attention to the enrollment deadlines—it is NOT possible to receive retroactive credit.

Information will be distributed in the first week of class with detailed directions on how to apply via the partner institution’s online application. Pay close attention to the enrollment deadlines—it is not possible to receive retroactive credit.

The cost for dual credit ranges from $70 – $105 per credit hour depending on the partner institution’s tuition rate (the 2020-21 University of Missouri tuition for Missouri residents is $321 per credit hour). In most circumstances, the tuition for dual credit saves you more than a third of the costs to take the equivalent course at the college level. CACC dual credit courses range from 2 – 6 credit hours with the majority equal to 3 college credits

You will pay tuition directly to the partner institution. CACC does not collect money. 

The partner institution will contact you to arrange payment after your application has been approved; no money is due at the time you complete the dual credit application for enrollment.

Yes! Both CPS and Missouri State University provide scholarships for students qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch. For more information, visit the CPS District Paid Programs Application page. If you are enrolling for dual credit with Missouri State University, you will apply for the FRL scholarship on the online application.

It depends. Dual credit can be beneficial in saving TIME and money. We have had Division 1 athletes sign up for dual credit because they didn’t want to repeat the course while attending college full-time. We have had A+ students enroll to earn elective credits, allowing them to focus solely on college courses in their chosen area of study or career focus.

College credit is generally transferable among universities. How the course is accepted and awarded transfer credit is dependent on each receiving institution. Many colleges have an online transfer portal you can visit to research how the credit will be accepted. If not a direct match for a course, they may list it as elective credit. We recommend looking at a few of your top college choices to see how the credit might transfer. You will reference the dual credit partner institution name and the corresponding course number when determining transfer details.

Do your research! Some institutions limit the number of credits they will accept for incoming freshmen. Keep in mind, colleges annually update their transfer portals. If you’re looking up information on a course you’re taking as a sophomore in high school, the credit transfer details may change by the time you enroll as a college freshman.

If the college admissions office does not align the credit as you wish, advocate for yourself. We have had students meet with faculty and department chairs in order to get the credit approved. Need a copy of the CACC course syllabus? Need a recommendation from the CACC instructor? The CACC dual credit team is here to help!

Institutions such as Missouri S&T and the University of Central Missouri award retroactive college credit to Project Lead The Way students who earn a grade of B (80%) or higher in the course and meet the required minimum score on the end-of-course exam. PLTW credit is awarded at institutions across the nation. To view a complete list of partners, visit PLTW partners.

Missouri S&T offers credit in both the Biomedical and Engineering programs. Visit their PLTW information page for more information and a link to their enrollment form.

The University of Central Missouri offers PLTW credit for Engineering. For more information and a link to their enrollment form visit their PLTW information page. 

Your PLTW instructor and the CACC dual credit team can help you collect needed signatures and help answer any questions!

You can check out the University of Missouri Admissions transfer equivalency site here. You will reference the dual credit partner institution name and the corresponding course number when determining transfer details.

Keep track of your dual credit courses throughout high school. CPS assists by sending out a summary of courses taken for dual credit to guardian emails at the end of each academic year. Once you graduate, submit a request to each institution where you have earned credit to have your transcripts sent to the college you are attending. Most college admission offices help in navigating the process. The CACC Dual Credit Team is here to help too!

You must contact the institution to drop the equivalent college course. Dropping your CACC course does not automatically withdraw you from the college course. There are drop deadlines at each institution that determine if you will receive a tuition refund.

The final grade earned in the course will be reflected on the college transcript. You can elect to opt-out of requesting the credits be forwarded to the college you are attending if you are concerned about a negative impact on your collegiate GPA.

How do Dual Credit, Project Lead The Way, Articulated Credit, and Advanced Placement (AP) compare?

Dual Credit – CACC offers multiple dual credit courses taught by teachers who have the necessary credentials to be approved as an adjunct lecturer by the partner college. Each course’s curriculum has been reviewed and is equivalent to a corresponding college-level course, allowing students to simultaneously earn high school and college credit. Unlike AP and PLTW courses, no end-of-course test score is required to earn credit. The credits earned and the grade received in the class appear on both the high school and college transcripts. Note: Dual enrollment refers to high school students who enroll in a college course that is taught by college instructors. 

Project Lead the Way – Project Lead The Way is a nationally recognized provider of rigorous, relevant, and innovative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education curricular programs. CACC has certified PLTW instructors for engineering and biomedical courses. Colleges such as Missouri S&T and the University of Central Missouri award retroactive college credit to PLTW students who earn a grade of a B (80%) or higher in the course and meet the required minimum score at the end of the course exam. See the FAQ: What about credit for PLTW courses? above for details. For more information, visit Project Lead The Way (PLTW).

Articulated Credit – Articulated credit can be awarded when coursework is evaluated and determined to meet the requirements of a technical degree program. Students who demonstrate they have mastered the course’s learning objectives may be able to earn credit, saving both time and money and providing a jump-start in their postsecondary program. The articulation process is designed to help students who have mastered learning objectives to advance to upper-level courses without repetition of content. 

Advanced Placement (AP) – AP courses offer students the chance to tackle college-level work while they’re still in high school. Through qualifying AP exam scores, students can earn college credit and advanced placement in upper-level courses. Visit the College Board AP site for more information.

Dual Credit Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Articulated Credit Advanced Placement (AP)
Course Content Curriculum meets or exceeds college-level content National standardized curriculum and end of course exam Curriculum meets or exceeds college level content National standardized curriculum and end of course exam
Instructor Approval Instructor has credentials to serve as adjunct faculty Instructor completes PLTW Core Training N/A Based on course audit 
Course Credit Credit earned and final grade appear on both college and high school transcript Credit dependent on standardized test score AND grade of B (80%) or higher in course Credit retroactively assigned by college upon matriculation.  Credit dependent on standardized test score acceptance at attending college
Timeline Enroll at start of semester – students concurrently enrolled in high school and college course Apply for credit after course is completed and test score received Course content reviewed and credit awarded upon matriculation in postsecondary institution Take the AP exam at the end of course. 
Required for Transfer of Credit Send a transcript from a dual credit partner institution to attend college. Send a transcript from a dual credit partner institution to attend college. Varies. May require syllabus, transcript, entrance exam, performance evaluation, and Industry Recognized Credential score report Send score report from AP/College Board to attending college
Potential Costs Tuition (scholarships available), transcript fee Tuition (scholarship available), transcript fee No cost Exam fee
Relevant CACC Courses Varies. View last year’s list of approved dual credit courses. 

*Eligible course offerings fluctuate. Check with the dual credit team for up-to-date information

 All PLTW courses Check with the instructor. Recent examples: Welding, Information Technology AP Computer Science Principles

AP Computer Science A
Weighted Grade Yes Yes No Yes

*Dual enrollment refers to high school students who enroll in a college course that is taught by college instructors. Visit the CPS Early College site for more information on the program for CPS students to enroll in college courses at MACC.