San Juan College dual credit program helps students earn degrees early

San Juan College's dual credit program is giving San Juan County students a head start on college bills and college time before they leave high school. This spring, more than 1,600 high school students enrolled in college-level courses through the program, which San Juan College says is the second-largest dual credit program in New Mexico.

How the program saves families money and time

The core advantage is simple: dual credit classes are tuition-free, and the credits count both toward high school graduation and toward a future degree or certificate. That means students can leave high school with college work already on their transcript, while families avoid paying for those classes later.

San Juan College says those credits can transfer to any New Mexico college or university, which matters in a county where many students will start local and then decide whether to stay, transfer or train for work. The state’s dual credit structure also includes career and technical education courses, so the benefit is not limited to traditional transfer classes.

Where students can take part

San Juan College says the program reaches students across the county and beyond the Farmington campus area. Local access runs through partner schools in these districts and communities:

• Farmington Municipal Schools
• Aztec Municipal Schools
• Bloomfield School District
• Central Consolidated School District
• Dulce Independent Schools
• Homeschool students
• Some students in southwest Colorado

That reach matters because the state says every New Mexico high school student has the opportunity to enroll in college courses through Dual Credit. For San Juan County families, the local question is not whether the program exists, but whether a student’s school, schedule and course plan can fit into it.

San Juan College also says Early Admission is available for New Mexico students who need a class that is not approved under the statewide dual credit program, including remedial or developmental classes. That gives students a separate route into college study when the regular dual credit catalog does not match their needs.

Who is finishing ahead of schedule

The program’s strongest local measure is not just enrollment, but completion. San Juan College says 368 graduating seniors earned at least 12 college credit hours before graduation, enough to wear purple cords at commencement. Another 90 graduating seniors completed the requirements for an associate degree before finishing high school and received an SJC medallion to wear during graduation ceremonies.

Those numbers show the program is doing more than offering exposure to college-level work. It is helping students leave high school with a visible record of academic progress, from a semester’s worth of credits to a full associate degree already finished.

State policy has widened the lane

The local program sits inside a broader state strategy. The New Mexico Higher Education Department says the Dual Credit Program is intended to help students move from high school to college, improve the chance of success in later college work and raise the odds of earning both a diploma and a college credential. The state also says dual credit includes both academic classes and career and technical education pathways.

That policy work is being monitored at the state level as well. The 2024-2025 New Mexico Dual Credit Annual Report was prepared by education officials including Dina Advani, Mark Chisholm, Amanda DeBell, Marc Duske, Brit Gallegos, Rebecca Galves, Patricia Trujillo and Jody Weber. The same state system says it provides more than $272 million each year in financial aid to students in New Mexico, showing how dual credit fits into a larger affordability network.

In 2025, the New Mexico Higher Education Department and the New Mexico Public Education Department received a College in High School Alliance grant aimed at expanding dual enrollment access, especially in rural and low-income communities. The state said stakeholder meetings would be held in fall 2025 to gather input on closing access gaps, a signal that access is still uneven even as the statewide promise is broad.

Scholarships extend the bridge beyond high school

San Juan College Foundation scholarships add another layer to the county’s college pipeline. The foundation awarded $115,000 to 96 graduating seniors from San Juan County, with the money aimed at helping students continue at San Juan College and reducing barriers to degree completion, workforce credentials and career readiness.

That matters because dual credit does not end when students cross the graduation stage. Students who arrive at San Juan College with credits, confidence and sometimes an associate degree already complete can spend less time and less money on the path to a certificate, transfer degree or job credential. For local families watching tuition closely, the program’s value is measured in the credits earned before the first college bill arrives.