Elevating high school students' potential with early college opportunities

High school students taking advantage of Madison College’s early college opportunities are successfully navigating pathways to higher education with transformative support, all while avoiding tuition debt.

Early college students make up almost a fourth of the overall college population.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, 4,851 high school students participated in at least one Madison College course, earning 20,848 college credits and collectively saving $3.5 million in tuition costs.

"We know that students who can participate in college courses, with the assistance available at their high schools and additional support from the college, experience remarkable benefits. We cannot overlook the financial savings this provides for students and their families," says Schauna Rasmussen, Dean of Early College and Workforce Strategy.

Since 2018, Madison College has experienced a surge in early college participation, with students graduating from high school and earning an associate's degree, certificate, or college credit from Madison College simultaneously.

Early college programs are designed to meet students’ higher education and career goals.  

In dual credit programs, students take Madison College courses taught by qualified instructors in their high school, thanks to powerful collaboration with area school districts. Others take advantage of the expertise of Madison College instructors in online learning or at the state-of-the-art campuses in Madison, Fort Atkinson, Reedsburg, Portage, and Watertown.

Teens are also finding success in early college full-time academies, such as the NextGen Academy and the STEM Academy, where they learn hands-on skills through real-life experiences in the classroom and beyond.

All these early college programs encourage students, especially first-generation students, to try college with zero risk, as the school district pays tuition.  

High school and younger students experience powerful connections with Madison College through youth camps and events. Mini-Manufacturing World invites students to explore manufacturing career paths through an exciting one-day competition, where they operate their own fictional company.

The collaboration with the Manufacturing Alliance of Sauk, Columbia, and Marquette counties, as well as the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, has reached thousands of students in the Portage, Sauk Prairie, Reedsburg, and Wisconsin Dells school districts.

Student Henry Shortreed took advantage of a youth discovery camp in welding as a seventh grader, discovering limitless learning opportunities through the instructor's guidance. He further expanded his experience by taking part in the Mini-Manufacturing World event. "I thought it was an amazing way to get a deeper understanding of what the job was about," he says.

The teen found the connections and learning so worthwhile that he's enrolling at Madison College in the fall of 2025 to pursue a certificate in construction and remodeling.

Madison College is committed to increasing access to K-12 students in collaboration with school districts and community partners. The college supports students throughout their journey, from program selection to completion, while fostering strong connections to transfer and employment opportunities.