College education for some students in North Carolina begins in high school. Ninth-graders enrolled in early college education programs graduate with a high school diploma and either an associate degree or up to 24 hours of transferable credit after five years of courses — tuition free.

North Carolina is home to 42 Learn and Earn Early College High Schools, 38 of them are located on community college campuses. North Carolina education officials say early college high schools are at the heart of the state’s effort to keep dropout rates low.

According to North Carolina’s State Board of Community Colleges, nearly 50 percent of the Early College High Schools have had zero dropout rates.

North Carolina students attending traditional high schools dropped out of public schools more last year than any time since the 1999-2000 school year, according to a report released in February. A total of 23,550 students dropped out in 2006-07, representing 5 percent of the state’s high school population.

Dual-enrollment programs, such as Learn and Earn Early, which permit high school students to enroll in college courses for college credit, also have been known to increase postsecondary access and success for minorities, males and low-income students, according to a recent report by the Community College Research Center.

Low-income students participating in dual-enrollment programs increased their chances of enrolling in college by 22 percent, compared to their non-enrolled peers. The study found that students with lower grades participating in dual-enrollment programs also enrolled in college at a higher rate than non-enrolled students with low grade point averages.