Iowa high school students who enroll in community college coursework tend to be upperclassmen with higher ACT scores than their peers, according to a pair of reports released by the Iowa Department of Education. In addition, they graduate from college earlier than those who do not enroll in college coursework.

The Annual Condition of Iowa’s Community Colleges 2008 report, released today, includes a special focus on “jointly enrolled students.”  Jointly enrolled students are high school students who are also enrolled in community college credit coursework through a variety of options. These students were academically above-average students with ACT scores averaging 22.8 — nearly a point above the Iowa average and more than two points above the national average.

 High School Students Enrolled in College Coursework Reduce Time to Degree