Early College Credit Options
Students have several options to earn college credit during their high school years.
Options include:
- Advanced Placement Exams (AP)
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Dual Credit
- Credit by Exam
- Articulated Credit
- Concurrent Credit
Policies regarding early college credit vary from college to college and can change from year to year. Students should check with the placement officer at the institution(s) they are considering regarding course and credit hour policies.
Advanced Placement Exams (AP)
Many colleges and universities across the country offer college credit, advanced placement, or both, for qualifying AP Exam scores. AP offers 34 exams in 6 areas. See specific college guidelines on accepting AP scores for credit and placement on the AP Credit Policy database.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP offers 33 exams in five subject areas, covering material taught in courses that students generally take in the first two years of college. Most CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one-semester courses, although some correspond to full-year or two-year courses. See specific college guidelines on CLEP exams.
Dual Credit
Students participating in the Dual Credit program earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. When the class is complete, the student will receive a letter grade on both their high school and Harper College transcripts.
Credit by Exam
Students participating in the Credit by Exam program take an exam at the end of the semester either in their high school class or at the college. The instructor will notify students of the exam results. Upon passing the exam and completing the Harper College High School Partnership Application, students will receive a letter grade on their high school transcript, and credit only (CRD) on their college transcript. Semester hours of credit are awarded through this program, but a letter grade is not assigned on the Harper transcript. Please note that many institutions will not accept Credit by Exam credit. Students should check with the college that they plan to attend.
Articulated Credit
Students participating in this program take the first course in the sequence at their high school. Once completed, students receive high school credit for the course. Within two years of high school graduation, students may take the next course in the sequence at Harper College. If the second course is completed with a C or better, the student will receive college level credit for both courses. They will receive semester hours of credit only (CRD, no letter grade) for the first course taken at the high school, and a letter grade for the second course that was taken at Harper.
Concurrent Credit
Students 16 or older OR who have junior or senior status may enroll in a Harper credit course while still in high school–either during the school year or summer. Students in this program earn college credit, but no high school credit.