The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found dual enrollment helped sustain six‑year completion for the fall 2019 cohort, with students who had prior dual enrollment earning credentials at a 71% six‑year rate—about 14 percentage points higher than peers. Doug Shapiro, executive director of the Clearinghouse center, noted the cohort faced pandemic disruptions beginning in their second semester; the result suggests dual enrollment supports persistence and degree attainment, particularly for Black, low‑income and Hispanic students. Dual enrollment—high school students taking college courses—emerged as a retention and completion strategy campuses can scale. Admissions and advising teams may increasingly prioritize partnerships with K‑12 systems, credit articulation and supports to translate early college experiences into postsecondary success.