Saint Patrick High School offers 30 different college credit bearing courses which provide high school students the opportunity to engage in college-level coursework and earn college credit and course placement while at the same time accessing the academic supports available in each of our buildings. AP is not a “program” per se; AP courses are open to all students who have demonstrated the potential to succeed in a college-level course and all students who are college-bound are encouraged to take an AP course prior to graduation.

Additionally, we offer Dual Credit courses in partnership with multiple colleges and universities including Triton College, St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, and Lewis University. Dual Credit courses provide students with an opportunity to study college level courses offered through official agreements between Saint Patrick High School and partner colleges, universities, and post-secondary institutions.

Introduction:

Advanced Placement (AP) courses and Dual Credit courses both offer high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while they are still in high school. Each of these courses count for both high school and college credit, but differ in the way that college credit is earned and recognized at the college level.

What are AP Courses? 

All Advanced Placement courses are sponsored through the College Board (the same organization that administers the SAT). These courses all have a college-level curriculum and prepare students  for the corresponding AP exam. Most AP exams contain a multiple choice portion and an essay portion. Some courses require a paper or portfolio submission in place of a test. These courses provide a challenging and rigorous educational experience with a focus on critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving.   AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 through 5, with scores of 3-5 considered passing scores. AP courses are not actual college courses but are recognized universally as college-level. 

What are Dual Credit Courses?

Dual credit courses allow students to earn both high school and college credit by completing college-level coursework at Saint Patrick High School, with a Saint Patrick teacher, who is considered an adjunct professor of the partner college or university. These courses follow a curriculum approved by the partner institution and are similar to the course as taught on the college campus.  Different partner colleges and universities have different policies on what grades students need to earn in order to receive college credit. Some will require a grade of “C” or better, while others might require a “B” or higher. We partner with several Lasallian Universities, including Lewis in Romeoville, Illinois and Saint Mary’s in Minnesota. We also partner with Triton College for our dual credit CTE courses.

Rigor:

Saint Patrick High School believes all students have academic talent and it is the job of the school system to cultivate that talent.  Postsecondary institutions place value on what they consider “rigorous,” of which AP and dual credit courses are considered the most rigorous.

Both AP courses and dual credit courses vary in the level of rigor.  Some AP courses are considered more rigorous or difficult than others (i.e. a higher/lower percentage of students earning a “5”, difficulty of course material, etc.) and the same is true of dual credit courses. For example, AP Physics is considered one of the most rigorous AP courses due to the complexity of the concepts contained in the course, just as a dual credit Engineering course will be looked at as a very rigorous class for students to take in high school.

It is important to remember that taking AP courses and dual credit courses is not an either/or, it is a both/and, and should be informed by a student’s career and postsecondary goals. 

The Granting of College/University Credit:

In the State of Illinois, the College and Career Success for All Students Act guarantees that all public colleges and universities in Illinois must grant credit for an AP score of 3 or higher as either elective credit, general education credit, or major requirements.  This can mean different things at different Illinois public colleges and universities.  For example, one college or university may accept all AP courses for their equivalent at that particular college, but another may base those decisions on a student’s major area of study.  For example,a student who is majoring in English or History may receive college credit for an AP or dual credit Math course, while a student whose major is Math will not receive that credit. This law does not apply to private colleges or universities, although most, if not all, will have policies regarding AP and dual credit courses.

Illinois also has the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), which governs some dual credit courses.  The IAI guarantees that public colleges and universities in Illinois grant one-for-one credit to students who take courses designated as IAI throughout the public college and university system in Illinois. More information can be found on the IAI website

Important to note is that when transferring from a community college to a four year college or university, the institution to which a student is transferring will re-evaluate the credit granted by the community college through AP courses using its own policy if the transferring student has not earned an associate’s degree or certification.

To see how AP coursework credit translates at the college and university of your choice, use the AP Credit Policy Search Engine. To see how dual credit coursework translates at the college and university of your choice, use the Illinois Transfer Portal.

Cost:

Current AP Exam Pricing can be found on the College Board website.  Students are not required to take AP exams, but if they hope to earn college credit they must take the exam and score a 3 or higher.

The cost of taking a dual credit course varies depending upon the partner college or university.  Most of our partnerships are with St. Mary’s University, which charges $100 per credit hour. Most college classes are 3 credit hours, so most SMUM sponsored courses are $300. Lewis University charges $35 per credit hour (around $105 per course). 

Benefits of Taking Early College Coursework – AP & Dual Credit Courses: 

• Both AP and dual credit courses offer challenging curriculums that prepare students for college.
• AP courses might result in college credit if students pass the exams, while dual credit courses almost always earn college credit. These courses give students a taste of college-level work and can set them up for future academic success.
• Taking AP and dual credit courses in high school can be more cost-effective than taking the same courses in college, as students may receive college credit without paying the full cost of a college course.
• Having AP and Dual Credit courses on your transcript make you more marketable to colleges and universities

Remember, postsecondary education is about finding the right fit for the student, not about winning an award.