Career and College Success

DPS Early College High Schools

In our mission to create an inclusive environment in which every child succeeds, a select number of DPS high schools have received early college designation from the state of Colorado.  

An Early College, as defined by C.R.S. 22-35-103(10)(a), is a secondary school that provides only a curriculum that requires each student to enroll in and complete secondary and postsecondary courses while enrolled in the four years of high school such that, upon successful completion of the curriculum, the student will have completed the requirements of a high school diploma and an associate's degree or other postsecondary credential or at least sixty credits toward the completion of a postsecondary credential. The curriculum must be designed to be completed within four years.

As state designated early college high schools, the DPS early college curriculums are designed so students concurrently complete all high school graduation requirements and an associate degree, a postsecondary credential, or at least 60 college credits. Early College students will begin college coursework and career and technical education options as soon as they are determined to be ready for these options. 

Early college high schools are schools that provide all students enrolled the opportunity to earn transferable college credits while earning high school credit at the same time. This opportunity prepares students for college and career and reduces the time and cost involved in attaining a postsecondary degree.

Traditionally, these schools serve historically underrepresented populations including at-risk populations, economically disadvantaged youth, students of color and first generation students. Early College high schools provide numerous wrap-around supports for these students and replace remediation with acceleration.

The Denver Public Schools early college high schools are 

• CEC Early College
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College
• Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design (DSISD)
• Manual High School
• Northeast Early College
• West High School

Any DPS student can choose to attend an early college through the SchoolChoice process. For information, please visit SchoolChoice. For more information about early college high school, please contact Tara Schneider, tschnei@dpsk12.net.