Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement Courses

  • Dual Enrollment (DE) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses both offer students the opportunity to take high school courses on their high school campuses and receive both high school and college credit. Both programs are taught on Coronado’s campus by Coronado teachers who are certified to teach in those areas.

    Certain prerequisites may apply for both DE and AP courses, and students should seek additional information from their guidance counselor.

Dual Enrollment (DE)

  • Coronado partners with Scottsdale Community College to offer a variety of dual enrolled courses. There are tuition costs associated with these courses in order to earn college credit; however, there are grants available to qualifying students. SCC credits earned through DE are likely to transfer to Arizona’s public universities. Students are responsible for verifying whether their DE credits will transfer to in-state or out-of-state colleges and universities.

Advanced Placement (AP)

  • College credit for AP courses depends on the student’s score received on the AP Exam taken in May. Participating colleges across the country grant credit and/or appropriate placement based on the student’s score. Students are responsible for verifying the AP Exam score requirements for any college or university they plan to attend.

Should I take DE or AP courses?

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    Both programs contain rigorous, college-level material. They typically require more time and effort than regular high school courses, but they help prepare you for the typical college workload. Earning college credit in high school can put you ahead of schedule, which may result in fewer general education courses you must take in college, and it can even help you to graduate college early. Both types of classes bolster your transcript, which can help students who are thinking of applying to Honors Colleges and other prestigious post-secondary programs. AP classes also come with the added bonus of a weighted GPA. Furthermore, there are scholarships available to students who excel in multiple AP Exams. 

     

    Which is better for me?

    Please read the description below and set up a meeting with your counselor to determine the best plan.

    Dual Enrollment credit is based on your performance in the class. AP credit is based on your performance on the AP Exam.

    AP credits are accepted in most colleges and universities across the country. DE credits are often only accepted in-state.

    There are many other factors, including what courses Coronado offers that year, students’ interests, and more.