Benefits of AP

Taking AP classes and exams can help students get ahead in high school and college. Students will:

Build skills and confidence.

• AP students learn essential time management and study skills needed for college and career success.
• They dig deeper into subjects that interest them and learn to tap their creativity and their problem-solving skills to address course challenges.

Stand out to colleges.

• Students who take AP courses send a signal to colleges that they’re serious about their education and that they’re willing to challenge themselves with rigorous coursework.^[1]
• 85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions.^[2]

Succeed in college.

• Research shows that students who receive a score of 2 on their AP Exams are ready for college work.^[3]
• Research shows that students who receive a score of 3 or higher on AP Exams typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher graduation rates than their non-AP peers.^[4]
• 3 out of 4 AP students enrolled in a four-year college start school with some AP credit.^[5]

Save time and money in college.

• Research shows that students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a college degree on time,^[6] which means they avoid paying for additional years of tuition.
• Most colleges and universities nationwide offer college credit, advanced placement, or both for qualifying AP Exam scores. This can mean:
  • Fulfilling graduation requirements early
  • Being able to skip introductory courses or required general education courses

Share these benefits with your students and encourage them to commit to their AP Exams.

AP Is a Global Credential

Universities around the world recognize AP when making admission decisions, course requisites, and awarding university credit. In fact, half of students entering four-year colleges are now starting school with some credit from AP courses.

Qualifying AP Exam scores earn university credit in nearly all universities in the United States and Canada, and are recognized in 60 other countries worldwide. Scores of 3 or 4 on AP Exams fulfill admission requirements in many universities in the UK and Europe.

Each college and university determines its own policies regarding AP Exam scores. For detailed information about the AP recognition policies of universities, use these searches:

• Global: Search AP credit policies.
• Outside the U.S.: Search AP recognition policies (admissions, credit/placement, and scholarship considerations).

Jump to footnote [1] referrer. The College Board, The 10th Annual AP Report to the Nation, February 11, 2014.

Jump to footnote [2] referrer. Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research Inc., March 2007.

Jump to footnote [3] referrer. College Board, New Analyses of AP Scores of 1 and 2, June 2021.

Jump to footnote [4] referrer. Linda Hargrove, Donn Godin, and Barbara Dodd, College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and Non-AP High School Experiences (New York: The College Board, 2008). Chrys Dougherty, Lynn Mellor, and Shuling Jian, The Relationship Between Advanced Placement and College Graduation (Austin, Texas: National Center for Educational Accountability, 2006).

Jump to footnote [5] referrer. College Board, Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2021, October 2021.

Jump to footnote [6] referrer. The College Board, College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and Non-AP High School Experiences, 2008.