Student wearing safety goggles and gloves measures liquid in a graduated cylinder during a science lab experiment.PWCS students earned nearly 44,000 college credits through advanced academic coursework last school year. Based on the average cost of a college credit at a Virginia four-year institution, this equates to roughly $17.5 million in potential tuition savings for PWCS families.

Here’s how PWCS helps students offset tuition costs.

PWCS offers a wide range of advanced academic opportunities designed to challenge students, expand their interests, and prepare them for life after graduation. Through programs such as Advanced Placement (AP), the Cambridge Programme, International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme, and multiple dual enrollment options—including College and Career Ready Virginia (CCRV) and partnerships with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON)—students can take rigorous coursework while also earning college credit.

Advanced academics in PWCS are not a single program, but a collection of pathways that allow students to engage in rigorous coursework in a variety of ways, based on their interests, strengths, and postsecondary goals.

Participation in advanced coursework has continued to grow divisionwide and across specific student populations. Over the past four years, overall participation in advanced courses increased by nearly eight percentage points, from 47.9% in 2021–22 to 55.7% in 2024–25. Among specific demographics, participation rose by more than nine percentage points among Black students and English learners, 10 percentage points among Hispanic students, and five percentage points for students with disabilities—progress reflecting expanded access to rigorous coursework across student groups.

“Our advanced academic programs are about opening doors for students,” said Dr. Ashley Cramp, director of student learning for PWCS. “By offering multiple pathways to rigorous coursework and college credit, we’re helping students build confidence, explore their interests, and graduate better prepared for the academic and career opportunities ahead.”

For students, the impact of advanced coursework extends beyond college credit alone.

“In addition to offering the possibility of college credit, the advanced coursework I took in PWCS gave me the study habits I needed to succeed at the next level and prepared me to manage the workload that a rigorous college semester entails,” said Celia Calabria, a junior at the University of Notre Dame and a 2023 graduate of Osbourn Park High School and The Governor’s School.

Increased participation in advanced coursework has been matched by improved achievement. In 2025, nearly 7,700 PWCS students took advanced academic exams, with more than 14,500 exams administered across programs. Overall pass rates rose to 68%, up from 56% just three years earlier. In alone, the number of students earning a qualifying score of 3 or higher has increased by 20% since 2021. In 2025, PWCS students earned qualifying scores on more than 9,900 AP exams, potentially equating to 29,700 college credits.

Dual enrollment opportunities also continue to expand across the division. PWCS currently offers 36 tuition-free dual enrollment courses, with 4,143 course enrollments in the 2025–26 school year. In 2025, PWCS students earned 3,793 early college credentials through dual enrollment, totaling more than 11,300 college credits.

For some graduates, those credits can make a significant difference once they reach college.

“I took Dual Enrollment English at Patriot, and not only did I get three courses worth of college credit at my university, it gave me the opportunity to double major in two areas that I'm passionate about and play varsity lacrosse — something that would not have been possible without the courses that PWCS offers,” said Chloe Annibell, a 2024 graduate of Patriot High School, now a sophomore at Campbell University in North Carolina.

As families consider their options for the years ahead, PWCS advanced academic programs offer multiple pathways—and the support students need to thrive on whichever path they choose.

Families can learn more about advanced academic opportunities by visiting the Advanced Academics webpage.