Early College High Schools

UNC Charlotte welcomed more than 400 early college high school graduates in last year’s incoming class! We are committed to ensuring you have a smooth transition to the University. To see if your school has an early college, check the below list.

Early College Students Application Process

What to Submit with Your Application

• Early college high school graduates who have not completed college courses after graduation from high school are considered a first-year applicant for reporting and application purposes.
• When you apply to Charlotte, please submit your college transcript along with your other application materials.

What We Review/Consider

• We will consider both your high school academic coursework, essay and optional test scores as well as your college courses and grades.

Transfer Credit

• First-year applicants receive credit for college courses completed during high school as well as AP and IB exam credits. Your transferable credits will be evaluated and your class standing will be determined at that point.
• For early college high school students enrolled through a North Carolina community college, we follow the transfer credit policies defined in the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between the UNC System and the North Carolina Community College System.
• High school students completing college coursework through any other institution can use the Transfer Credit Advisor tool to identify the credits that will be awarded for successfully completed college coursework.

Cooperative and Innovative High School Students

N.C. legislation outlined below does offer certain application review options to students who graduate from a Cooperative Innovative High School (Early Colleges) who WILL earn an associate degree in addition to their high school diploma. All other early college students will be evaluated using standard first-year student criteria.

• Applicants from North Carolina Cooperative Innovative High Schools (CIHS) receive special consideration in the admission review for UNC System universities based on North Carolina law.
• According to House Bill 97 Section 11.16.(a) “any student who graduated from a cooperative innovative high school program with an associate degree and who applies for admission to the constituent institution has the option of being considered for admission as a freshman or as a transfer student.” To see if your school is a CIHS, view the list here.
• Being “considered” refers to the evaluation of your credentials and NOT your student type. Regardless of how you are evaluated for admission, you will be considered a first-year student upon enrollment.
• This allows you to remain in consideration for housing, learning communities, honors, scholarships and other special programs reserved for new first-time in college students. You will be a first-year student with college credit.
• Your transferable college credits will be evaluated and your class standing as a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior will be determined based on the number of credit hours you’ve successfully completed.
• We encourage you to apply as a first-year student and also submit your college transcript.
• We will consider both your high school academic coursework and test scores as well as your college courses and grades. We are committed to using the review process that best advantages you.
• If, however, you feel strongly that your standardized test scores or high school GPA will hinder you in the first-year review, you may choose to be reviewed as a transfer student.
• Please contact an admissions counselor at 704-687-5507 or admissions@charlotte.edu if you wish to request the transfer review option.