When Angel Dzul (right) steps foot at the Cal Poly Pomona campus in the fall, the recent Valley High School graduate from the city of Santa Ana  will be ahead of many of his freshmen peers armed with nearly 30 college units from completing dual enrollment courses through Santa Ana College.

At the recent Rancho Santiago Community College District commencement ceremonies, which comprised Santa Ana College (SAC) and Santiago Canyon College (SCC), 294 high school students were awarded an associate degree and/or certificate for participating in dual enrollment programs.  Dual enrollment is a program through Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College where high school students can get an early start on college for free. Students are able to take career education and academic college classes that count towards certificates and degrees while in high school. Classes are also transferable to University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) campuses, so students can save time and money while working towards a bachelor’s degree. SAC works with 18 public, private and charter high schools in its service area to bring these early college opportunities directly to students. SCC works with 6 public, private and charter high schools serving the community with similar college opportunities.  

The total enrollment of high school students participating in dual enrollment programs in the Rancho Santiago Community College District has steadily increased from 6,751 students during the 2018-19 school year to last year at 8,851 for 2021-22 and now 12,459 students for 2022-23. That’s nearly an 85% increase from 2018-19 and 40% from the previous school year of 2021-22. 

According to Matt Valerius, Santa Ana College’s associate dean of career education and dual enrollment, and Loann Tran, director of special programs, high school and community outreach and dual enrollment ​​at Santiago Canyon College, the impressive statistic beyond the number of students enrolled in dual enrollment is their success rate. At Santa Ana College, 68% of dual enrollment students earned grades of A’s and B’s and 70% of dual enrollment students earned grades of A’s and B’s at Santiago Canyon College. 

For Angel and the many students immersed in the dual enrollment programs at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College, it is about preparation for future success.  “The great thing is this program instilled confidence in me and made me a strong candidate to enter the workforce or transition to college,” said Angel Dzul.   

You can learn more about the dual-enrollment program at Santa Ana College here or at Santiago Canyon College here.​

About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Rancho Santiago Community College District is home to one of the state's oldest community colleges, Santa Ana College, and one of its newest, Santiago Canyon College. Centered in a growing and dynamic area, the district serves more than 571,000 residents in Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Tustin.
Encompassing 24 percent of Orange County's total area (193 square miles), the district maintains eight facilities. In addition to Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College, these include the Centennial and Orange Continuing Education Centers, the Digital Media Center, the Orange County Regional Fire Training Center, the Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Academy, the College and Workforce Preparation, Remington Adult Education Center and the District Operations Center.​

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