Course Levels & Special Programs

Advanced Placement (AP) courses, approved by the College Board, are offered in 36 subjects across Career and Technical education, Computer Science, English, Fine Arts, History/Social science, Mathematics, Science, and World Languages. These courses provide students with college-level academic rigor and are designed to introduce students to the workload and expectations of post-high school study. Most students have the first opportunity to take an AP course in their junior year. Completion of the AP course includes the expectation that students will take the corresponding AP Exam. Students and parents are encouraged to read course descriptions carefully and seek guidance from teachers, counselors, and department chairs to determine which AP courses best align with their academic program and post-secondary goals. AP courses are identified with the symbol Ⓐ in the Course Selection Guide. For more information, visit Advanced Placement ->

Honors-level credit (H) can be earned in 160 courses across all curricular areas except Physical and Wellness Education. This includes pathway-to-honors courses, in which all students follow a clearly articulated roadmap to achieve honors credit. Honors credit is recognized at the end of each semester based on successful completion of the pathway, and teachers notify students of the specific pathway for each course at the beginning of the year. Students who earn honors credit receive a 0.5 increase to their grade point value (GPA). For more information about weighted GPAs, visit Grades & Report Cards ->

The Arts & Innovation Department offers six nationally recognized Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering courses. These courses, developed and maintained by leading engineering universities and industry partners, provide students with rigorous, real-world problem-solving experiences that integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) principles. Students take an end-of-course exam, and high scores may be recognized for college credit at PLTW-affiliated institutions. Students who successfully complete a PLTW course receive a 1.0 increase to their grade point value. PLTW courses are marked with the symbol Ⓟ in the Course Selection Guide.

Certain courses at ETHS are approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for establishing initial eligibility for student-athletes and are identified with the symbol Ⓝ. Students seeking NCAA eligibility should verify that their course selections meet the NCAA core course requirements.

Students who have exhausted accelerated courses in a subject area may enroll in advanced courses for college credit at Northwestern University through a special scholarship program. Eligibility for these courses requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and approval from the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.

At Evanston Township High School, students can earn college credit while completing high school graduation requirements by enrolling in dual credit courses. ETHS partners with Oakton College and other institutions to provide a range of dual credit options across different subject areas, including Arts+Innovation, Career & Technical Education, Mathematics, and Science.

Dual Credit courses allow students to earn both high school and college credit at the same time by taking a single class. These classes take place during the regular school day and are taught on campus by qualified ETHS teachers following a college-level curriculum. For more information, visit Dual Credit ->