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“The teachers teach the class in a way that everyone can understand.” - Iron Academy Student

High School students have four or five academic courses and a study hall period each day, in addition to times for electives, breaks, and discipleship. 

The course credits needed for our high school graduation requirement for all students exceed the minimum credits needed for admission to the UNC system. Each student must earn at least 24 credits distributed as:

4 credits in Literature
4 credits in Mathematics
4 credits in Science
4 credits in History
4 credits in Bible and Philosophy (1 credit per year enrolled)
2 credits in Foreign Language (2 levels of Spanish offered)
1 credit in Health and Physical Education
1 credit from Elective

Students can choose to take many of our courses at an Honors-level, allowing an extra GPA point. In lieu of AP-courses, several of our upper-level high school courses can be taken as Dual Enrollment with Judson College for college credits. 

Due to the small size of our school, elective courses are limited. Students also have several opportunities to earn partial credits by serving in an area of leadership during high school. 

We administer the PSAT and ACT to our students. If there is enough interest, we will also host the ASVAB.

For a school with rigorous academics, why aren't AP courses offered?

At Iron Academy, we choose dual enrollment over most AP courses for the same reasons discerning Christian parents once rejected Common Core: both systems now carry interpretive frameworks shaped more by cultural ideology than biblical truth. Many AP subjects have quietly become worldview-shaping environments, not neutral academics—and often mirror the same philosophical assumptions that concerned parents recognized in Common Core. Instead, our partnership with Judson College allows young men to earn rigorous, transferable college credit through courses taught by Iron Academy faculty who disciple and challenge them in Truth. This approach protects their formation while preparing them to lead with clarity, courage, and conviction in every sphere of life.

Why does Iron Academy choose dual enrollment instead of AP?

For the same reason many Christian parents refused to place their children in Common Core: the worldview beneath the academics changed. AP has followed a similar ideological trajectory—often quietly. Many AP subjects now embed interpretive frameworks shaped by postmodernism, critical theory, and secular anthropology. Dual enrollment allows us to offer true college-level rigor without immersing young men in those shifting philosophical foundations.

Is dual enrollment as challenging as AP?

Yes—and often more so. Colleges recognize dual enrollment as sustained college-level work, not a one-day exam. Our students consistently excel in university settings because they arrive with real college experience already earned.

Do Iron Academy students still receive college credit?

Absolutely. All dual enrollment courses earn real, transferable college credit through Judson College. Many Iron Academy graduates begin college with a semester or more of credits completed.
 

Why not offer both AP and dual enrollment?

Because many AP courses have become worldview compatriots of the same ideological drift that shaped Common Core. While our culture still treats AP as “neutral rigor,” the underlying frameworks have shifted significantly. We offer AP Calculus because it has not undergone this drift and remains essential for STEM pathways. In other subjects, dual enrollment provides rigor without compromise.

What dual-enrollment courses do you offer?

Iron Academy currently offers Judson College credit for:
• Honors Algebra 2 → College Algebra
• Honors Constitution → U.S. Constitution & American Government
• Honors Composition I & II → English Composition I & II
• Honors World Geography → World Geography
• Honors World History II → World History II
• Honors U.S. History → American History I
• Honors Physics → Introductory Physics
• Honors Christian Religion & Competing Worldviews → Introduction to the Christian Religion (returning soon)
 

Every course is taught by Iron Academy faculty who know, disciple, and guide your sons.

What if my son wants AP or additional advanced courses?

We support that. Students may take outside AP or online advanced classes during study hall or after school. We simply will not let secular frameworks shape the core curriculum forming your son’s worldview.

How do colleges view this approach?

Colleges value it highly. Many admissions teams prefer dual-enrollment performance over AP exam scores because it demonstrates long-term academic discipline. Iron Academy graduates earn strong acceptances, significant merit scholarships, and positive remarks from admissions offices.

Is Iron Academy lowering academic standards by limiting AP?

Not at all. We are raising both academic and spiritual standards. Your earlier wisdom in avoiding Common Core is the same wisdom we apply here: excellence is essential, but worldview formation is eternal. Dual enrollment lets us pursue both with integrity.