Greater Lowell Technical High School (GLTHS), in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, has been designated as an Early College program by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The designation recognizes a long-standing partnership focused on expanding access to college coursework, strengthening collaboration between academic and technical programs, and creating integrated opportunities that connect Career and Technical Education (CTE), college learning, and high-demand career pathways.
State education leaders, including Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, have highlighted Early College and CTE programming as essential strategies for expanding access to rigorous learning experiences that prepare students for both college and the skilled workforce needs of Massachusetts.
At GLTHS, Early College is designed to complement and support students’ CTE experiences through both career-aligned and college-level general education coursework. Students begin exploring college and career pathways during freshman year through the school’s CTE Exploratory program, rotating through technical areas and engaging in structured career and postsecondary planning to inform future pathway selection.
Early College aligns closely with GLTHS’s “2-in-1 education” model, preparing students for college, careers, and active citizenship while helping to meet regional workforce demands. Students earn a minimum of 12 college credits during their junior and senior years, with opportunities for students in defined degree pathways to earn up to 30 college credits – nearly a full year of college – at no cost to students or families.
Courses are delivered by UMass Lowell faculty and supported by GLTHS instructors, with coordinated academic supports built into the school schedule to help students succeed in college-level coursework. During the 2025–2026 school year, more than 240 GLTHS students participated in Early College coursework through the program’s pilot implementation.
The program includes three CTE-aligned pathways: Education, aligned to UMass Lowell’s Bachelor of Arts in Education leading to PK–8 licensure in Elementary Education and Moderate Disabilities; Engineering, aligned to degree pathways in civil, environmental, mechanical, and electrical engineering; and Marketing/Business, aligned to business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and communication degree pathways that support both college and career readiness.
“This designation reflects the strength of our CTE programming and the depth of our partnership with UMass Lowell,” said Superintendent-Director Jill Davis. “Early College expands access to higher education while students are still in high school and strengthens clear pathways into college, technical training, and high-demand careers. Just as importantly, it helps students build the confidence to see college as attainable, especially for many of our first-generation students who may not have previously envisioned themselves pursuing higher education.”
The Early College designation reinforces a model that connects strong CTE preparation with expanded access to college credit, accelerating student pathways from high school into postsecondary education and high-demand careers while supporting workforce development across business, industry, and vocational sectors in the Merrimack Valley, throughout Massachusetts, and across the greater New England region.
For more information, visit gltech.org or uml.edu/admissions/pre-college-programs/.
Greater Lowell Technical High School’s 2025-2026 Early College students (Photo Courtesy Greater Lowell Technical High School)
