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The number of local high school students taking William Paterson University courses for college credits—and getting a jump on their college careers—has surged nearly 1,500 percent since 2019.
More than 1,700 students from 34 high schools in New Jersey were enrolled in WP courses during fall 2024 through the University’s High School Dual Enrollment Program, through which eligible high school juniors and seniors take a course for both high school and college credit, usually on site at the high school and at greatly reduced cost. In 2019, 108 students were enrolled in the program. Credits earned will count toward a William Paterson University degree or can be transferred to other colleges.
“An extensive body of research has shown that dual enrollment students are more likely to finish high school, attend college, and complete their degrees than other students,” says Joshua Powers, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “We are excited to see more and more high school students taking advantage of the opportunity to earn college credits while in high school and get a taste of what a college course is like.”
The University works with the school districts to determine which courses are eligible for college credit. The program currently includes offerings in 45 topics that span William Paterson’s four academic colleges; the top five most popular classes are Precalculus, Elementary Statistics, TV Studio Production, Psychology, and Spanish at various levels.
Courses are typically taught on site by the high school teacher. A William Paterson collaborating faculty member works hand in hand with the high school teacher to establish required learning outcomes and associated course expectations, meets periodically with the teacher, and observes the class in action. High school seniors are also welcome to enroll in more than 250 courses on campus that are at the entry level and have no prerequisites.
The high schools that participate in the program are invited to specific day-long events to introduce them to the University that include a campus tour, lunch in Speert Dining Hall, an admissions presentation, and other activities. Since fall 2023, when the campus visit program launched, more than 1,350 students have visited the campus to date, nearly 70 students have gone on to enroll at the University as first-year students.
“WP’s Dual Enrollment Program is a game-changer for many high school students,” says Patrick Noonan, executive director of the Office of Community College and Dual Enrollment Partnerships.” It provides so many benefits to students, such as automatic conditional admission, scholarship opportunities for first-year students, and importantly, the confidence that they can succeed in college.”
