Early Colleges
What is an Early College?
Early colleges are a blend of public high schools and community colleges. As part of NC’s College and Career Promise, Early Colleges are high schools located on community college campuses. By the time an early college student graduates high school, they will have had the opportunity to earn an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science degree.
Cabarrus County is home to three early colleges: the Cabarrus-Kannapolis Early College High School, Cabarrus Tech Early College and Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute, which opened in the fall of 2022 for ninth grade students.
*Early College students are not eligible for participation in athletics.
**Students are eligible to apply and interview for all three Early Colleges. One application does not impact your application for the other.
Interested in our new Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute? Check out this website for more information!
Transportation
Transportation is provided for Early College students.
Program Requirements
- Application and interview for rising 9th grade students. Essay questions are required as part of the application process.
- A teacher's recommendation is required for the Early College High School as a part of the application process. You can find a copy of the teacher recommendation form here.
- A teacher's recommendation is required for the Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute program as a part of the application process. You can find a copy of the teacher recommendation here.
- Teacher recommendations are NOT required for the Early College of Technology High School application.