The program meant to give students a head start on their college enrollment is expanding to five high schools in western Massachusetts, including Easthampton High School, Granby High School and Hopkins Academy in Hadley,

University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan said the early college initiative, the Commonwealth Collegiate Academy, will focus on reaching rural communities as well as urban schools, with UMass Amherst partnering with The Renaissance School and Libertas Academy, both in Springfield, in addition to the three Hampshire County schools.

The early college initiative, launched in 2022 with about 170 students at seven schools, mainly focused on so-called Gateway Cities, or lower-income urban communities with high populations of immigrants and people of color.

This fall, more than 1,125 students from 22 high schools will be enrolled in early college programs.