Prior Learning Assessments and Postsecondary Outcomes

Published March 2025

Overview

Students have many opportunities to gain competencies outside of degree-granting institutions, but their transcript may not always reflect that experience. Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs) allow students to receive university credit for experience and competencies gained outside of the institution (Sherron et al., 2019; Monica, 2019; McKay et al, 2016).

PLAs may benefit students by shortening time-to-degree (Boyle & Otts, 2018), increasing the likelihood of completing a credential program (Boatman et al., 2017; Klein-Collins and Hudson, 2018; McKay et al., 2016), and reinforcing prior learning (Taylor and Marinau, 2016). However, these benefits may vary significantly by demographic group or PLA type (McKay et al., 2016; Klein-Collins and Hudson, 2018). For the purposes of this study, PLAs include Advanced Placement (AP) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

This study examines the relationships between AP and CLEP credit and higher education outcomes including: first-term GPA, time-to-degree, and risk of dropout. The sample includes those who graduated from a Utah high school between 2012 and 2016 and then enrolled in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program at a USHE institution between their high school graduation through 2020. The study of first-term GPA includes 71,391 students, while the models of time-to-degree and risk of dropout divide the sample into groups of 26,890 associate’s degree-seekers and 30,950 bachelor’s degree-seekers. In all three models, the participants are pulled from the first institution from which they enrolled, but time-to-degree and risk of dropout do not include students who later transferred to another institution.

The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) standardized the credits offered for AP and CLEP exam scores across the system’s eight degree-granting institutions, effective starting in the academic year 2021. This study will establish baseline effects of AP and CLEP credits for those who first enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program before the standardization policy took effect.

Summary of Findings

Finding 1: PLA credit is associated with lower time-to-degree and reduced risk of dropout.


Finding 2: PLAs are associated with a reduced risk of dropout, but participation is not spread evenly across the student population.


Finding 3: The influence of PLAs and college readiness diminishes for outcomes farther in time, and the role of major area of study increases, especially for time-to-bachelor’s degree.


Finding 4: PLAs may mitigate some of the negative effects of financial hardship.


View Glossary of Terms

Detailed Findings

Finding 1: PLA credit is associated with lower time-to-degree and reduced risk of dropout.

Associate-seeking
students see some of
the largest gains
from PLAs for both
time-to-degree
and dropout.

More than 75%
of first-term
students have
no AP credits.

  • Students with 3 AP credits have a 1.06 point increase in GPA on average. The gains for each additional 3 credits increase up to 24 credits where students have GPAs 1.62 points higher on average.
  • 26% of students enrolled in an associate degree did not complete more than one term at an institution. However, those with 3 AP credits are estimated to stay enrolled 0.7 terms longer and graduate in 1.3 fewer terms.
  • Only about 12% of students enrolled in an bachelor’s degree in this sample did not complete more than one term at their chosen school. Those with 3 AP credits are estimated to stay enrolled 0.9 longer and graduate in 1.07 fewer terms.
  • CLEP credit has nearly identical effects on time-to-graduation and risk of dropout compared to AP.
Figure 1.1: Compare effects of any AP and CLEP versus none on time to degree
Figure 1.2: First-term GPA of all students with any AP credit and those without

Finding 2: PLAs are associated with a reduced risk of dropout, but participation is not spread evenly across the student population.

Students with 3 AP or
CLEP credits stay enrolled almost one term longer
on average before
dropping out.

  • PLAs had the same estimated benefits to time to degree and reduced dropout rate regardless of race/ethnicity.
  • 27% of students who identify as Asian received PLA credit followed by 19% of white students.
  • Only about 4% of Black students and 5% of Native American and Pacific Islander identifying students received PLA credit.
  • Bachelor's degree-seekers who identify as Black or Pacific Islander would need to enter with 6 AP credits to counteract the increased risk of dropout associated with ethnicity.
Figure 2: Predicted risk of drop out by race/ethnicity for bachelor’s students (all students)

Finding 3: The influence of PLAs and college readiness diminishes for outcomes farther in time, and the role of major area of study increases, especially for time-to-bachelor’s degree.

AP credit’s
predicted effect
drops by two-thirds
from associate to
bachelor’s degree.

CLEP credit is associated
with decreases in
time-to-degree for
associate degree-seekers,
but CLEP credit has
no detectable effect on
time-to-bachelor’s degree.

  • The predicted effect of AP credit on time-to-degree decreased by 71% from associate to bachelor’s degree-seekers.
  • The predicted effect of CLEP credit on time-to-degree decreased by 89% from associate to bachelor’s degree-seekers.
  • The predicted effect of ACT on time-to-degree decreased by 38% from associate to bachelor’s degree-seekers.
  • 16 of 32 areas of study predicted a significant change in time-to-bachelor’s degree, but only 8 of 32 areas of study predicted a significant change in time-to-associate’s degree.
Figure 3: Time-to-degree by Area of Study (all students)

Finding 4: PLAs may mitigate some of the negative effects of financial hardship.

Students who were
eligible for Pell Grants
during their first term
at an institution
experienced a decrease
of 0.09 points on average
to first-term GPA.

Students who were
eligible for both Pell Grants
and AP credit had an
additional average
increase of 1.09 GPA
points for 3 AP credit.

  • Students eligible for free/reduced lunch during their last year of high school experienced a decrease of 0.07 points on average in their first-term GPA, but the estimate was 1.1 points higher for free/reduced lunch students who had taken at least 3 AP credits.
  • Students who are eligible for Pell Grants take an average of 1.4 terms longer to finish an associate degree and 2.5 terms longer for a bachelor’s degree. These times shorten to 0.15 and 1.4 terms longer respectively for Pell eligible students with 3 AP or CLEP credits.
  • Associate degree-seekers who were eligible for free/reduced lunch during their last year of high school dropout 0.23 terms earlier than other students. This trend reverses if they have 3 AP credits, and they will stay enrolled for about 0.5 terms longer than average.
Figure 4.1: Predicted time to degree for Pell eligible students (all students)
Figure 4.2: Predicted time to degree for free/reduced lunch eligible students (all students)

Limitations

  • This study does not address how or why students participate in certain PLA options. Many factors including parental input or advising could influence students’ decision to participate in programs like AP. These factors may overlap significantly with race, SES, parental education, or other factors that this study does not fully account for but may affect post-secondary outcomes.
  • Only USHE students who went to high school in Utah are included in this study. Utah high school graduates who went to out-of-state or private institutions like Brigham Young University or Western Governors University are not included.
  • Time-to-degree and risk of dropout do not include students who transferred between USHE institutions. While some institutions have a significant proportion of transfer students, uneven transfer policies at the time could affect both of these outcomes. For this reason, the study only includes students who stayed at one institution.

Conclusion

This study found PLA credit from AP and CLEP may facilitate a shorter time-to-degree in most cases, and AP credit seems to be associated with a higher first-term GPA. However, other factors, including demographics, also significantly impact student outcomes. In most cases, these other factors like race/ethnicity, income, major, and college readiness can overtake the effects of PLAs, particularly for those with only one or two classes worth of PLA credit. For these reasons, PLAs should be considered part of a holistic set of policies to address outcomes. The sample in this study does not include the years after the changes to PLA credit awards, so institutions may have already improved the efficiencies of PLA programs. Ideally, this study would be replicated in the future to compare this study with the outcomes under newer policies.

Full Report

Learn more about Prior Learning Assessments

This report investigates the impact of Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs), including Advanced Placement (AP) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), on student outcomes. By analyzing a sample of 71,391 students who graduated from Utah high schools between 2012 and 2016 and subsequently enrolled in a Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) institution, the study examines relationships between AP and CLEP credits and first-term GPA, time-to-degree, and risk of dropout. The findings aim to establish baseline effects of AP and CLEP credits prior to the standardization policy implemented by USHE in 2021.

Report cover

Glossary

References

Boatman, A., Hurwitz, M., Lee, J., & Smith, J. (2020). The Impact of Prior Learning Assessments on College Completion and Financial Outcomes. The Journal of Human Resources, 55(4), 1161. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.55.4.1117-9167R2

Boyle, Gotcher, D., & Otts, D. (2018). One State's Use of Prior Learning Assessment to Augment Its Workforce Development Agenda. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 66(1), 54–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2018.1415634

Klein-Collins, R., & Hudson, S. (2018). Do Methods Matter? PLA, Portfolio Assessment, and the Road to Completion and Persistence. A Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Students' Academic Outcomes at Four Learning Counts Partner Colleges. Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

McKay, Heather, Cohn, Bitsy, & Kuang, Li. (2016). Prior Learning Assessment Redesign: Using Evidence to Support Change. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education., 64(3), 196–201.https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2016.1229506

Monica, H. P. (2019). Strategic Stories: Analysis of Prior Learning Assessment Policy Narratives. Review of Higher Education, 42(2), 511-535. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2019.0005

Sherron, T., Cherrstrom, C. A., Boden, C., & Wilson, L. (2019). Innovation in Prior Learning Assessment: Program, Course, Model, and Best Practices. Adult Higher Education Alliance.

Taylor, & Marienau, C. (2016). Facilitating Learning with the Adult Brain in Mind. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Project
Team

Alicia McIntire
Alicia McIntire

Senior Research Scientist
(Report Author)

Wei Li
Wei Li

Senior Data Scientist-
Data Narratives