College Credit

High school students can earn college credit while in high school. Some high school students enter their first year of college with enough credits to be college sophomores.

Advanced Placement

The purpose of the Advanced Placement (AP) program is to offer college-level courses to high school students. Administered by the College Board, the AP program includes both courses as well as a testing program that colleges and universities may utilize to grant credit to students who have performed well on AP examinations.

Career and College Promise

Through Career and College Promise (CCP), qualified students in North Carolina have the opportunity to pursue classes at community colleges tuition-free while they are in high school, allowing them to get a jumpstart on their workplace and college preparation. CCP provides three pathways to help advance eligible students' success beyond high school.

• College Transfer pathways provide tuition-free course credits toward the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or Associate in Engineering degrees which will transfer seamlessly to any public or participating private college or university.
• Technical Careers pathways earn tuition-free course credits at an NC community college toward a job credential, certificate or diploma in a technical career.
• Cooperative Innovative High Schools offer tuition-free college credits for high school students who attend one of these schools.

More info on Career and College Promise. 

Cooperative Innovative High Schools

Wake Early College of Health and Sciences

This school provides opportunities to explore careers in the health and sciences fields through partnerships with Wake Technical Community College and WakeMed Health and Hospital. This five-year high school program allows students to earn their high school diploma and an Associate degree, college transfer credit, prerequisite courses to prepare for a health sciences degree or certificate - tuition free. Students follow a rigorous high school program of honors classes for the first two years and are dual-enrolled in Wake Tech courses the remaining years.

Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies

Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies is a collaborative endeavor between the Wake County Public School System and Wake Technical Community College. While still in high school, students complete college courses in one of four programs of study: Biotechnologies, Computer Programming, Cyber Security, or Network Management. Students may complete an optional 13th year, which could yield an Associate of Applied Sciences degree through Wake Tech. Graduates may also continue to a four-year college or university. 

Wake STEM Early College High School

The Wake STEM Early College High School is a joint project between the Wake County Public School System and N.C. State University. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This is the school's theme, along with its designation as an Early College High School. Exploration of the Grand Challenges for Engineering is a common instructional focus that will extend through various courses.

Wake Young Women's and Young Men's Leadership Academies (6-12+)

These schools are separate academies on different campuses but share the same program and philosophy. The program starts in sixth grade and continues as a blended high school and college experience. These small, single-gender academies develop each student as a leader and a learner. Themes of empowerment, innovation and collaboration are integrated in academic and extracurricular opportunities that result in each student's scholarship, service and success.

Vernon Malone College and Career Academy (9-13)

This school is a collaborative endeavor with Wake Tech and Wake County Government. Students can complete studies in one of the eight programs as part of their graduation credits. The school offers Biopharma Manufacturing, Cosmetology, Facility Maintenance Technology, Nurse Aide, Simulation and Game Development, and Welding. Through an academic foundation paired with career-informed courses and work-based learning experiences, graduates may continue to a four-year university, or apply their earned credits towards an AAS degree, certificate or diploma program at Wake Tech.

North Wake College and Career Academy (9-13)

This school is a collaborative endeavor with Wake Tech. Students can complete studies in one of five programs as part of their graduation credits. The school offers Culinary, Business Management, IT/Tech Support, Early Childhood Education and Emergency Medical Services. Through an academic foundation paired with career-informed courses and work-based learning experiences, graduates may continue to a four-year university, or apply their earned credits towards an AAS degree, certificate or diploma program at Wake Tech.

Articulation Agreements

The North Carolina High School to Community College Articulation Agreement is an agreement between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Community College System. This provides a seamless process that joins secondary and postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) program of study.

This statewide articulation agreement comprises approximately 50 high school CTE courses that match the knowledge and skills taught in similar community college courses. The agreement ensures that if a student is proficient in his or her high school course, the student can receive college credit for that course at any NC community college. This streamlines the student's educational pathway by eliminating the need to take multiple courses with the same learning outcomes.

The Local Articulation Agreement allows students to receive community college course credit for completion of identified Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses taken in high school. To earn the community college credit for the CTE courses the student must:

1. Earn a grade of B or higher in the high school CTE course.
2. Earn a scaled score of A on the CTE post-assessment (provided by NCDPI or an approved third party).
3. Enroll at Wake Tech within two years of the student's high school graduation date.
4. This creates a clear process through which students can move from high school to community college without duplication of efforts or repeating courses.

Dual Credit

To support high school students earning college credit while in high school through Career and College Promise, NCDPI has determined dual credit allowances for courses included in the Universal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC) of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA). UGETC courses will transfer for equivalency credit from NC Community Colleges to UNC Institutions. Students who enroll in and pass these college courses will also receive high school course credit based on the Dual Credit Allowances for Career & College Promise document.

For purposes of calculating student Grade Point Averages on the high school transcript, courses included on this chart are weighted in accordance with SBE policy GCS-L-004.