Skip to content

The number of high school students getting a jump-start on their college careers continues to grow at Harrisburg University via the University’s College in the High School (CiHS) and traditional Dual Enrollment programs.

During the past few years, an increasing number of schools have partnered with Harrisburg University to allow their students to enroll part-time at HU through the Dual Enrollment program, or even take up to 11 college credits per semester at their high school through the CiHS program.

During the 2018-19 school year, HU partnered with 26 schools and the University provided 381 college courses to high school students via both programs. That number grew to 66 schools with HU providing 1,182 courses to high school students during the 2021-22 school year. That represents a 210 percent increase in the number of courses the University provided to students in high school during the past four years.

“With education in a constant state of change, high schools and universities need to work together to provide opportunities for the high school students,” said Alexander Gibson, HU Director of Secondary Services and Partnerships. “With Harrisburg University’s unique CiHS model, we allow for some flexibility, and encourage high school students to take advantage of CiHS courses, but do not create barriers to schools that are offering our courses.”

While the picture for the 2022-23 school year isn’t complete, early indications show the growth trend continuing.

HU has partnerships with 80 school districts this year, with more than 100 schools engaging students with HU content. And 47% of HU’s incoming undergraduate students have come from one of the University’s partner districts.

“Dual Enrollment and College in the High School courses are a great opportunity to help students develop a sense of what college courses encompass, and often times offer engaging content that a student would not have seen in a regular high school course,” Gibson added. “Students who participate in dual enrollment courses are much more prepared for college and have an easier time transitioning to college life after high school, and can reduce the cost of post-secondary school to the parents.”

To learn more about Harrisburg University’s Dual Enrollment program, follow this linkv. For more information about the University’s College in the High School program, click here

ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY

Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Harrisburg University is a private nonprofit university offering bachelor and graduate degree programs in science, technology, and math fields. For more information on the University’s affordable demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, call 717-901-5146 or email, Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Follow on Twitter (@HarrisburgU) and Facebook (Facebook.com/HarrisburgU).