Where Dual Enrollment Leads: Subject, Setting, and Postsecondary Pathways

Abstract This study examines how participation in dual enrollment (DE), including variation in course subject and instructional setting, is associated with students’ postsecondary access, initial enrollment level, and early credential attainment during the initial postsecondary years. Using nationally representative data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) and grounded in the academic momentum framework and informed by Social Cognitive Career Theory as a secondary interpretive perspective, the analysis investigates how different DE experiences relate to students’ postsecondary trajectories. Logistic and multinomial regression models, combined with propensity score matching and multi-treatment weighting, were used to compare outcomes among students who completed different types of DE courses. Findings show that DE participation is associated with a higher likelihood of postsecondary enrollment and early credential attainment within the observation window, with variation across course subjects and instructional settings. Mathematics DE was associated with comparatively more favorable early credential completion patterns in within-DE comparisons, although subject differences were modest overall. In addition, DE offered on college campuses or online was associated with higher odds of early bachelor’s attainment within approximately 3 years after high school, whereas high school-based DE showed weaker patterns. These findings highlight the importance of attending to both the subject and setting of dual enrollment when designing policies intended to promote equitable postsecondary pathways.