Early College Students Thrive
Since 2017, we have invested over $16 million in more than half of the pioneering Early Colleges in Massachusetts including those in Lawrence, Chelsea, Lowell, Lynn, Framingham, and Boston.
We see our Early College students thriving in their college classes. And we see many more students going on to college right after high school, ready to pursue their dreams of higher education and rewarding careers.
Students are graduating from high school with thousands of college credits, saving their families millions of dollars and reducing the time it takes to earn their degrees.
Early evaluations show that our Early College students are two times more likely to enroll immediately in college than their non-Early College peers.
Recent data also shows that Early College may be buffering students against the negative impacts of COVID-19 on college-going: our Early College students are completing FAFSAs (applications for financial aid and strong indicators of college-going plans) at twice the rate of their non-Early College peers.
In a few short years, supported by our critical, early investments, Massachusetts has developed a network of promising Early College programs that are helping students build pathways between education and good jobs.
There are now close to 10,000 students enrolled in more than 60 Early College high schools, taking college courses from nearly 30 Massachusetts colleges and universities. That number continues to grow as more high schools and colleges partner to build Early Colleges.
“Participating in Early College gives you a lot of confidence in yourself and your capabilities and makes you feel that you are prepared to attend college.”
Elvianna, Graduate of Lawrence High School’s Early College Program with Northern Essex Community College