Arizona high school students can earn ASU college credit through the ACT collaboration

Arizona high school learners who took the ACT this spring have a direct path to earning widely transferable college credit from ASU — with simple enrollment, no risk to their transcript and a partner rate.

Your ACT score is just the starting line. ACT and Arizona State University have collaborated to give Arizona high school students who take the ACT a path to a transferable ASU credit before they finish high school.

Once ACT scores are in, many students wonder what comes next. Through ASU Universal Learner Courses, the university’s online courses taught by ASU faculty, students can explore subjects in STEM, humanities, business, leadership and more while earning credit that counts.

How to get college credits in high school

Here is how to get college credits in high school through the collaboration. Students register for $25, choose a course and learn at their own pace. There are no applications and no GPA requirements, and there is no risk to a student’s high school GPA. If a student is happy with the grade, they can add the course to an official ASU transcript for college credit. If they are not, they owe nothing more.

While any high school learner can enroll in ULCs, what the ACT collaboration adds is a direct connection to a set of courses with a reduced credit conversion fee of $350, available exclusively to ACT test-takers.

Current pricing and the full course list live on the ACT and ASU collaboration page, where students can register and start a course the same day.

Access and opportunity behind the collaboration

The collaboration reflects ASU’s focus on access and opportunity. The university measures itself not by whom it excludes but by whom it includes and how they succeed, and Universal Learner Courses extend college-level work to any learner ready to try it.

What students can study

The collaboration features a curated set of Universal Learner Courses chosen to line up with common first-year requirements, including Introduction to Psychology, College Algebra and Fundamentals of Personal Finance. Most are available on-demand, so students can start on their own schedule and earn 3 to 4 credits per course.

Those credits appear on an official ASU transcript and are widely transferable. Students can use them to meet prerequisites, satisfy general education requirements or apply them toward a future major.

Courses aligned to first-year college pathways

The ACT-ASU catalog covers science, history, math, social sciences, technology and more — all aligned to common first-year college requirements and widely transferable across institutions.

Get general education courses done early: Courses almost every college requires — learners can complete them now and arrive freshman year already ahead.

Explore a future major: These courses give learners a taste of popular fields before committing to a direction.

Build skills for college and life

Courses are available in on-demand and session-based formats, with most offering three or four credits on an official ASU transcript.

See all 18 courses at ulc.asu.edu/act-asu-partnership

How to get started

Arizona high school students can explore the courses and get started on the ACT and ASU collaboration page. To see the full lineup of online college courses for high school students, visit the ASU Universal Learner Courses high school page.

Frequently asked questions

What can high school students do with their ACT score besides apply to college?

Through the ACT and ASU collaboration, Arizona students who took the ACT can start earning college credit with ASU Universal Learner Courses at a reduced rate. There is no minimum ACT score to begin.

Can high school students earn college credit online?

Yes. Students can take ASU courses online and earn credit that appears on an official ASU transcript, with no application and no GPA requirement.

Is this the same as dual enrollment?

Not quite. Universal Learner Courses are open to any learner without a school agreement, and students pay for credit only if they choose to keep the grade. That makes it a flexible, lower-risk way to earn college credit.

However, ULCs are also the base of our dual enrollment program called Accelerate ASU. If you’re interested in dual enrollment credit with your high school, have your school counselor connect with our team.

Will the credits transfer to other colleges?

ASU credits are widely transferable to colleges and universities across the country. Students should always confirm transferability with their college of choice before enrolling.

Learn more and explore courses

To explore the ACT-ASU experience and view the full ACT course catalog, visit:

ulc.asu.edu/act-asu-partnership/