RALEIGH, N.C. (June 8, 2017) ­- Dozens of Wake County high school graduates will enter college this fall with two years of college already under their belts! Seventy-seven students graduated from the Wake Early College of Health and Sciences on May 31 – the largest graduating class in the history of the school! Of those, 68 have earned associate’s degrees while completing the requirements for their high school diplomas. In addition, 14 students graduated with nurse aide certificates, and five more earned phlebotomy certificates. Altogether, the Wake Early College Class of 2017 earned a total of 4,307 college credits – the most ever!  

“The Wake Early College of Health and Sciences is such an outstanding program,” says Wake Tech president Dr. Stephen Scott. “It’s an incredible advantage for high school students to be able to earn college credit and explore career options while still in high school – and they can do so at no cost!” 

The largest number of this year’s graduates – 13 – will be enrolling in East Carolina University this fall. Ten others will enroll at each of the following institutions: UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University, and Wake Tech. Other institutions accepting Wake Early College graduates include Meredith College, Gardner-Webb University, and Appalachian State University. 

Wake Early College was launched in 2006 as a partnership between Wake Tech, Wake County Public Schools, and WakeMed Health and Hospitals. In the program, students earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree or up to two years of transferable college credit within four to five years, tuition-free. It is based on Wake Tech’s Perry Health Sciences Campus adjacent to Wake Med, as well as the Northern Wake Campus. Wake County high school students also have a similar opportunity to earn college credit at Vernon Malone College and Career Academy in Raleigh and the North Wake College and Career Academy, opening this fall in Wake Forest.

November 2024

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