STLCC’s Dual Credit Classes Program Earns National Accreditation

St. Louis Community College’s program that allows area high school students to earn college-level credits has been granted accreditation by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP).

As the nation’s only accrediting body for these educational partnerships, NACEP’s standards serve as the model criteria for ensuring parity in faculty, course content, student outcomes, and support. Receiving NACEP accreditation means an institution has met the nation’s most rigorous standard in concurrent enrollment program development, management and evaluation across multiple, multifaceted program areas.

“The path to accreditation has truly been a team effort, buoyed by the passion and care of not just our STLCC staff and faculty, but our high school teachers, students and liaisons as well,” said Ellen Wottrich, STLCC’s district manager of dual credit/enrollment partnerships. “The outpouring of support we received from St. Louis-area high schools as we prepared our application and hosted our site visit was tremendous. We are so proud of our program and every person involved with providing this life-changing access to affordable, high quality college credit.”

STLCC offers dual credit classes, which are college credit-bearing classes taught by high school teachers, usually at a high school. The classes align with those taught on STLCC campuses. During the 2023-24 school year, 173 dual credit class sections were offered and 1,452 students were enrolled in those classes at STLCC. The average dual credit student saved $2,128 in college credit costs compared to the cost of the same credit at an average four-year public institution in Missouri.

To earn NACEP accreditation, concurrent enrollment programs conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to NACEP’s 16 standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by a team of representatives from NACEP accredited programs as well as the members of the NACEP Accreditation Commission. NACEP’s accreditation is valid for five years for initial accreditation and seven years for programs that are reaccredited. Programs commit to upholding NACEP’s standards and report annually on program practices across the 16 standards.