Early College High Schools (ECHS) are open-enrollment programs that allow students least likely to attend college or who wish to accelerate completion of high school, to combine high school courses and college-level courses while participating in rigorous and accelerated instruction.

The Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Early College High School (ECHS) initiative is an open-enrollment program that blends college and high school coursework, enabling students to earn up to two years of college credit (60 hours), tuition-free. This program aims to support historically underserved and at-risk students, providing an access ramp to postsecondary education for those most in need. According to research done by the American Institutes for Research, ECHS students are nearly three times as likely to earn an associate degree or bachelor’s degree than their non-ECHS peers.