Indicator: Access to college preparatory coursework

Why it matters

Most four-year colleges and universities require students to have completed a core set of college preparatory high school coursework to be eligible for admission. In many states, however, the requirements for a high school diploma fall short of these admissions criteria. For example, almost half of states require less than college expectations when it comes to foreign language coursework. Moreover, students sometimes lack access to certain required courses in their high schools. In California, for example, the University of California (UC) and California State University systems require students to complete a set of courses in seven areas, from history (“A”) to a college preparatory elective (“G”). An analysis from 2017 found that not all high schools offered the full A–G sequence, with small and rural schools, in particular, being much less likely to do so. Uneven access to college preparatory coursework can start as early as middle school, particularly in access to advanced math courses such as Algebra I that enable students to complete higher-level math before they graduate high school. Nationwide, only 59 percent of middle schools offer Algebra I.