Dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment refers to the opportunity for students to enroll in college courses while they still are in high school or as their homeschool curriculum. Courses may be taught within the high school or on a college campus or in some kind of online/on-site hybrid format.

Fifth-year programs are structured to allow students to defer their high school graduation for a year and simultaneously earn their high school diploma and Associate of Arts or Sciences degree. The Colorado ASCENT program or the Early College model are just two of the growing range of programs we see in the admission process.

Earning college credit while in high school is a good indicator of readiness for college-level success, comparable to Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB). There are some specific details to know about dual enrollment in the CSU admission process.

• If your only college-level work is being completed prior to high school graduation or equivalent, you are a freshman applicant. This is the case even if you no longer are taking classes in a high school setting. When you apply, be sure to list as your graduation date the month/year you will receive your high school diploma.
• As a freshman applicant, you will be required to meet all published freshman requirements and deadlines for full admission and scholarship consideration.
• If you were homeschooled using college enrollment to meet university entrance requirements, list your completion date as the month and year during which you will have satisfied the equivalent of our 18 Recommended High School Units. Typically, we are referencing your academic experience between ages 14-18 or your final four years of homeschooling.
• All college work completed prior to earning a high school diploma or equivalent will be considered for advanced standing credit at CSU. The transfer evaluation occurs after admission, according to our standard transfer equivalency guidelines.