More State High School Students Taking Part in Dual Enrollment Classes

Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 -- 9:01 AM

(Royce Podeszwa, Wisconsin Public Radio) A growing number of Wisconsin high school students are taking part in dual enrollment classes to earn college credit, a trend that’s helping boost student numbers at the state’s technical colleges.

According to Royce Podeszwa with Wisconsin Public Radio, enrollment in the Wisconsin Technical College System has risen by 18 percent since 2020. Meanwhile, enrollment at the Universities of Wisconsin stayed largely stable, dropping by half a percentage point since 2020.

A 2025 report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum found 78,703 high school students entered dual enrollment programs in the 2023-24 school year, and the vast majority earned their credits through tech colleges.

Katie Graf directs High School Partnerships for Gateway Technical College in southeastern Wisconsin, which boasts the most dual enrollment students in the state.

“(Dual enrollment) basically means that high school students have the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit at the same time,” she said. “And many of the times, those dual credit programs are free, totally free, for students and their families, which is a good thing.”  

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