Dive Summary:

• In the 2010-2011 academic year, about 1.3 million students took classes for university credit, up 67% in about a decade, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
• These early credits can help cut into the cost of college: Students in early-college high schools earn an average of one-third the credits they need for a bachelor's degree, according to one study.
• Students taking early college classes are also more likely to stay in college once they enroll, more likely to perform well, and more likely to graduate, according to several studies.

From the article:

… The universities and colleges have motivations of their own for going to this extra trouble. "They know they would otherwise get students who are unprepared, who end up in remedial courses, or who don't graduate," said Joel Vargas, vice president of Jobs for the Future. ...