Socorro ISD is the only district in the region to have an early college high school program at every comprehensive high school in the district. In partnership with El Paso Community College, SISD has been a longtime supporter of enabling students to earn their associate degree at the same time as their high school diploma.

Mission Early College High School was the first ECHS program to open in the region in 2006. Team SISD opened three more early college programs within a three-year span -- Socorro Early College in 2015, Rams Early College in 2016, and Trailblazers Early College in 2017. The district opened Falcon Early College at Eastlake High School, Empire Early College at El Dorado High School, and Pebble Hills Early College at Pebble Hills High School in July 2019. More than 1,500 SISD students have earned associate degrees through the district’s early college high school programs since 2010.

Through early college programs, advanced academic academies, and various degree plans at every high school, Team SISD has substantially increased dual credit courses available to students. SISD graduates continue to achieve the college and career readiness indicator, with an increase of 6.1 percent of students who have earned dual course credits. The number of students who have earned associate degrees while in high school has increased to 5.7 percent. SISD students collectively earned 39,721 dual credit hours earned during the 2020-21 school year saving millions of dollars in future college costs.