How Career and College Prep Works

Online school offers benefits like personalized learning and flexible schedules without sacrificing certified teachers and extracurriculars. For families already looking ahead, Career and College Prep is a bonus with real-life benefits.

Students can discover countless possibilities and build the skills and experience to turn their goals into reality. The best part? They can do it all—prepare for industry credentials, earn college credits, and more— while working toward their high school diploma.

A young girl with wavy hair smiles widely, seated at a table with a microscope. The background is light blue with scattered yellow stars.

The Career and College Prep program and the specific pathways and certifications available vary by state and by school. Talk to your student’s school counselor about specific offerings or explore other schools near you.

Start Exploring Early

Middle school is a time to try new things and expand their interests, and to see what college is really about. Career and College Prep in these important years can help students build the foundation to make sure they’re ready for high school and beyond.

Talk to your student’s school counselor for more information. You can also explore Tallo ’s built-in tools for discovering your teen’s interests. Students can then connect those interests to real-world possibilities, getting to visualize what their future could look like in those careers.

Turn Exploration Into Endless Potential

High school is where students bring their future plans into focus with Career and College Prep. They take career-specific courses in popular industries like IT, healthcare, and manufacturing while preparing to earn professional credentials and college credits to stack their résumés.

As their post-graduation path becomes clear, career coaches provide guidance to make sure teens stay on track and are aware of opportunities to add along the way. And if things change at any point, we can help your student pivot and find a new career path option.

Helping Students at Every Stage

27K+

certifications earned

1,000+

students earned college credit

7K+

credit hours earned through dual enrollment

*These are internal numbers for the program and highlight student success during the 2024–2025 school year.

If your teen is:

Question icon Not sure what they want to do?
Checkmark icon We can help them explore popular careers that fit their interests and talents.
Question icon Ready to go to work?
Checkmark icon We can help them earn professional credentials to level up their skills and stand out to employers.
Question icon Has college as the next goal?
Checkmark icon We offer dual enrollment to help them get ahead on credits and save money on tuition.
Question icon Rethinking their plans?
Checkmark icon That’s okay, too! We can help them pivot without starting from scratch.

Why People Love Career and College Prep

Laura

school staff*

“What students have to remember is going to college is great, always an option. It doesn’t have to be the only option. If you want to go and become an electrician and save up money, all of these things can happen. That’s something [K12] does an amazing job at, is showing them that there are a million different things that you can pick from, and none of them are in concrete. You can pick one, and then the second. There’s no right path. It’s whatever path is right for you.”

Damion

12th grade student**

“I chose my career pathway because it’s one of the only art pathways. I draw a lot. I want to go to college for either illustration or anthropology. [The teacher] would let us use our own drawing programs to finish our assignments too, which was really fun because I would get to do whatever I want on a lot of assignments as long as I just followed the guidelines, which was really cool.”

Sincerity

12th grade student***

“I never thought of doing law enforcement. I had one class with [this teacher]. It was for economics, and I was like, ‘Oh, I like that teacher. He’s really nice. Let me try his law enforcement class,’ because I needed an extra curriculum [credit]. I tried it and I fell in love with criminology and psychology and learning about the mind and how people think. I feel like it’s made me a better person and more aware.”

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Help Your Student Find Their Destination

Across the country, online public schools powered by K12 offer Career and College Prep as part of their tuition-free curriculum options. We also offer reasonably priced options through private schools. Specific program offerings and career pathways vary by state and by school.

See What’s Available in Your Area Today

Opportunities vary by school; please visit your school page or check with your school counselor. Career and College Prep is primarily a program for high school students, with some exploration components available in middle school. Many Microsoft® Office certificates can be earned after completing one course. Other certificates require more classes to be better prepared, and students who participate in the program for at least two years will have further preparation for certification testing.

*Laura is a 2025 staff member at a K12-powered school in OH, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.

**Damion is a 2025 student at a K12-powered school in IN, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.

***Sincerity is a 2025 student at a K12-powered school in AZ, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.