What AP score do I need for college credit?
AP credit at large universities
Choose an exam and your score
Your result
Of the twelve large universities here, nine give credit for a 3 on AP Calculus AB and all twelve give it for a 5.
Lowest AP score for credit, by university
The smallest score that earns a course or credit at each university. A dash means no score earns credit there.
| AP Exam | UC | UT Austin | Michigan | Ohio State | Penn State | UF | Texas A&M | ASU | Illinois | Purdue | UW | Rutgers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Precalculus | – | 3 | Not listed | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Biology | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 3 | – | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| US History | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| World History | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| US Government | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| English Language | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | – | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Questions people ask
What AP score do I need for college credit?
Usually a 3 or higher, though some universities want a 4. Of the twelve large universities here, nine give credit for a 3 on AP Calculus AB, eleven for a 4 and all twelve for a 5.
Does a 3 on an AP Exam count for college credit?
At many universities, yes. Ohio State, Texas A&M, Florida and Washington give credit for a 3 on most exams. Rutgers' School of Arts and Sciences gives none for a 3, and Michigan gives credit for a 3 only on AP Biology.
Do all University of California campuses give the same AP credit?
They give the same number of units: for example, 8 quarter units for a 3 or higher on AP English Language. Each campus decides which of its own courses that credit stands in for.
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How we work this out
What it does
Pick an AP Exam and your score to see what twelve large US universities give for it.
Sixteen AP Exams at twelve large US universities: the University of California, UT Austin, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, Texas A&M, Arizona State, Illinois, Purdue, Washington and Rutgers.
Method
- Each university's own AP credit page was read on October 17, 2026, and the course or credit for a 3, 4 and 5 copied from it.
- Where a university's rules differ by college, the general rule is shown: Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Illinois outside engineering and Rutgers' School of Arts and Sciences.
- Credits are semester credits, except at the University of California and the University of Washington, which count in quarter units.
- The lowest score for credit is the smallest score that earns a course or credit at that university.