Dual-Credit Access Shouldn't Depend on Your Zip Code
Decades of research show dual enrollment is one of the most powerful accelerators of college success — yet access remains deeply unequal. Landmark Academy was built specifically to close that gap: every 9–12 student gets up to 4 dual-credit courses built into their tuition, at no extra cost.
What the research says about dual enrollment
This isn't a theory. Multiple independent studies converge on the same conclusion: dual enrollment works, and it works especially well for students who have historically been shut out of it.
College completion rate for students who took dual enrollment in high school, compared to 57.2% for students who did not — a 13.9-point gap in bachelor's degree attainment.
Source: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, December 2025
Black students who participated in dual enrollment programs completed bachelor's degrees at an 11 percentage-point higher rate than comparable peers without DE access — closing a persistent equity gap.
Source: Community College Research Center (CCRC), October 2024
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) found dual enrollment students scored +25 percentile points higher on college readiness assessments than non-participants, based on a study of 77,249 students.
Texas's FAST (Furthering Access to Seamless Transitions) program doubled low-income dual enrollment participation from 102,000 to 260,000 students statewide — proof that access gaps can be closed with policy and institutional commitment.
Source: Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), October 2025
Less likely to offer dual enrollment
High-poverty schools are 19% less likely to offer dual enrollment courses than their low-poverty counterparts — meaning the students who would benefit most from DE are the ones least likely to have access to it.
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), October 2018 (GAO-19-8)
This is the problem Landmark exists to solve.
Landmark Living History Institute (EIN 41-4512644) is a Missouri 501(c)(3) public charity. Our charitable purpose is expanding access to accredited K–12 education and college-level dual-credit pathways for students who would otherwise be priced out or structurally excluded. Dual-credit access for every 9–12 student is not a marketing feature — it is our charitable mission made concrete.
How Landmark closes the gap
For Landmark Academy 9–12 students, dual credit isn't a perk you pay extra for. It's built into the program.
What's included in $8,450/year
- Full accredited high school curriculum (WASC-accredited)
- Up to 4 dual-credit college courses — included in tuition
- All course materials and digital resources
- Academic advising and dual-credit planning support
- Transcript and records management
- $0 enrollment fee — one all-in tuition
Who this is designed for
Landmark specifically prioritizes families who lack realistic alternatives to access dual-credit coursework:
- Homeschool students whose districts don't offer DE access
- Students at under-resourced schools without DE programs
- Rural and low-population communities with no local community college access
- Families who cannot absorb per-course college fees on top of high school costs
- Students who need flexible scheduling to work, care for family members, or manage health needs
Landmark's charitable purpose
Landmark Living History Institute is IRS-recognized as a public charity (EIN 41-4512644, recognition effective February 26, 2026). We operate Landmark Academy as a direct program of that nonprofit. Tuition is set to cover operating costs — not to generate profit. Our founder, Torrie Levins, draws $0 salary.
Including up to 4 dual-credit college courses in the base tuition — at no additional charge — is a deliberate structural decision rooted in our charitable mission. We do not believe families should have to choose between college credit for their high school student and paying rent. The research is clear that DE works. Our job is to make sure cost is not the reason a student doesn't have it.
Financial disclosures and governance documents are available on our governance page and our about page.
Research Citations
- National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (December 2025). Data Dive: Dual Enrollment's Positive Impact on Higher Education. studentclearinghouse.org
- Community College Research Center (CCRC), Columbia University. (October 2024). Dual Enrollment and Long-Term Outcomes for Black Students. ED661434. eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED661434.pdf
- What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), Institute of Education Sciences. (February 2017). Dual Enrollment Programs Intervention Report. ies.ed.gov (WWC)
- Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). (October 2025). Texas FAST Program: Expanding Dual Credit Access for Low-Income Students. acct.org
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). (October 2018). Dual Enrollment: Participation and Perspectives. GAO-19-8. gao.gov/products/gao-19-8