Johnston County Early College Academy is a four- or five-year program (grades 9-13) located on the campus of Johnston Community College. Students are dual-enrolled in high school and college classes. Upon graduation from JCECA, students will have obtained their high school diploma and a two-year Associate's Degree. Students can choose from the following pathways: college transfer (earning an Associate of Arts, Science, or Engineering) or STEM (earning an Associate of Engineering or Associate of Science).

As they near graduation, students can apply to any university in North Carolina and abroad. In addition to all of the public universities in the UNC system, our students have been accepted into private schools including MIT, Georgetown, Duke, Howard, Yale, Purdue, and Wake Forest to name a few. However, please note that while an Associate Degree earned at JCC is guaranteed to transfer to public UNC universities, private and out-of-state schools take only select credits and will likely require some classes to be retaken. Duke and Wake Forest do not take any community college credits. You can learn more about how the credit transfer process works at private and out-of-state schools by visiting their specific websites.

Our students are eligible to utilize direct admission to certain public and private universities through NC College Connect and CFNC.org.  Learn more about this opportunity to be automatically admitted to select NC universities here.

Learn more about the pathways:

• The College Transfer pathway is for students who know they want to attend a four-year university, but don't yet know what they want to major in or what career they want to pursue. As you progress and prepare for graduation, you will be able to choose between earning an Associate of Arts or Science.

• The STEM pathway is for students who know they want a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and/or math. The requirements for this pathway include more math and science classes, and the program sets students up to enter competitive STEM programs at four-year universities.

Learn more about the application:

• Current JCPS students may apply during their 8th grade year. Students may only enter the program as a 9th grader.

• Applications are completed online through Schoolmint. Parents or guardians must create a SchoolMint account, add their student using their Infinite Campus ID, and complete the application for the Choice Program(s) of interest.

  • Only students currently enrolled in Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) are eligible to apply for a Choice Program.

  • Students who are not currently enrolled in JCPS must complete district enrollment before submitting a Choice Program application.

  • The application includes a general information section and program-specific questions for each selected program.

  • Once all sections have been completed, parents or guardians must provide the required electronic signatures and click Submit to finalize the application.

  • Applications may be saved and completed at a later time if needed.

  • You will receive an email to the email address you used when creating the Schoolmint account about next steps.

• Application Timeline for the 2027-2028 school year:

  • January 1, 2026: Application Window Opens

School Contact: Principal Robert Daniels (robertdaniels@johnston.k12.nc.us)

Attend a Family Information Night:

• ECA will host a Family Information Night specific to our school on Thursday, January 14 from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm in the Tart Lobby on the campus of Johnston Community College.

• JCPS will host several Family Information Nights throughout the county. All choice programs will be on site to share information and answer questions. Dates, times, and locations will be posted here when they are announced.

• If you are unable to attend the JCPS District-Wide Family Information Nights, watch the recorded presentation below: