I’m not a fan of AP classes. Dual credit is a much better deal for students and their families. This statement will make me unpopular with many educators, but hear me out.

Advanced Placement courses are taught in the high school by high school teachers. According to Career Trend, “The Advanced Placement program from the College Board allows students to take higher-level courses with a chance to earn college credit. While there are no formal requirements to be an AP teacher, a teacher must teach students at a high level and prepare them to pass the AP exam.”

“The College Board recommends that AP teachers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in the area they teach or in a related field…an AP teacher should have at least three years of teaching experience…an AP teacher should meet highly qualified status and hold a professional teaching license in a field related to the course.”

If you’re a grammar nerd like I am, you noticed certain word choices in the paragraphs above: “a chance to earn college credit,” “should have at least three years…,” “should meet highly qualified status.”

The College Board reports, at best, only 61 percent of students who take an AP class will pass the AP test in that subject and receive a qualifying score of 3 or above (on a 1 to 5 scale); however, some colleges and universities may require a higher score in order to grant the student credit for that course.

To be clear, not every student who takes an AP class will take the AP test. The College Board reports that only 35 percent of students enrolled in AP classes took at least one AP exam in 2021. If you want credit for more than one AP class, you must take and pass the test for each course. The base fee for an AP exam was $96 (per test) in 2021. If you’re lucky, the school district will help with the cost of the tests.

By contrast, the Higher Learning Commission, the State of Illinois, and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) REQUIRE that college professors who teach dual credit courses for high school students MUST hold “a Qualified Master’s degree in the discipline being taught in the specific course or any Master’s degree with at least 18 graduate credit hours in courses specific to the content being taught in the undergraduate course.”

Dual credit courses are college courses. They share the same syllabus and course material with the regular college class.

Here’s the best part: 100 percent of students who pass the dual credit class receive credit for that class, and families pay reduced tuition for those credits. Sometimes, the school district helps with the cost of the course.

As more families have learned the benefits of dual credit we have seen an increasing number of students who graduate high school in possession of an Associate degree. These students usually transfer to a 4-year university with Junior-credit status right out of high school. By paying reduced community college tuition for those two years, families save more than $10,000 per year and the students begin their careers two years sooner.

As families prepare to send their students back to school for fall, please consider the benefits of dual credit and speak with your high school counselor about the opportunities available for your child. Don’t settle for AP when they can accomplish so much more.