About Us

A PROGRESSIVE PARTNERSHIP

The Lafayette Parish School System and South Louisiana Community College have teamed up to create the LPSS-SLCC Early College Academy.

This academy is based on the early college high school model, which assumes that academic rigor, combined with the opportunity to save time and money, is a powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges. Early college high schools blend high school and college work in a rigorous yet supportive program, compressing the time it usually takes to complete a high school diploma and a college degree.

A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY

Students attend high school on the campus of South Louisiana Community College during the hours of 8:30 am to 3:50 pm. Academy students will follow the state’s TOPS University curriculum. No Jump Start pathways are available at ECA. The courses taken to complete the curriculum are a combination of high school honors classes and dual enrollment college classes.

At the end of their four years of high school, these students will have achieved a high school diploma as well as an associate’s degree in general studies/liberal arts, which prepares them to enter a 4-year university with at least 60 hours of earned college credits.

ECA was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2019 and recognized in 2014 by Newsweek magazine as one of America’s Top High Schools and in 2015, 2016, and 2023 by U.S. News & World Reports as one of America’s Best High Schools.

Many high school clubs are available for student involvement, as are student dances and prom. Transportation will be provided by the Lafayette Parish School System to and from designated bus stops throughout Lafayette parish.

Students and their families are not responsible for the costs of tuition for college classes that students take for the first time, but they are responsible for costs incurred for college textbook rentals. ECA students are encouraged to use technology in all classes. Students may use their personal laptops or tablets or may borrow a school-provided laptop, when available. Internet connectivity at home or access to it is essential for student success at ECA.

Mission Statement

To advance educational achievements and encourage independent thinking in concurrent pursuit of a high school diploma and an associate's degree.

Vision Statement

Early College Academy is committed to rank among the highest achieving academic institutions in the United States of America.

School Colors

Garnet and Gold