In recent decades, as pressures have mounted to raise K-12 academic standards and move more students into and through college, high schools have provided a growing array of programs that offer college-level content. Frequent claims suggest that these programs raise academic standards, prepare students for college, and shorten the time to a baccalaureate degree, saving tuition costs and speeding entry into a career. This article compares the two most popular college-level programs, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment, and explains how choosing between the two is likely to be contingent on such varied factors as a school's geographic location and a student's academic profile and postsecondary aspirations. The authors also address how perceptions of AP's superiority have arisen from its popularity in top-ranked suburban high schools, perceptions that have influenced education policies and have led to the use of AP in schools where dual enrollment may be a better fit for students. Finally, they examine the efficacy of both programs in accelerating time to a baccalaureate degree.