Advanced Placement (AP)

How It Works

Advanced Placement is one of the most recognized measures of academic rigor in American high schools. The College Board offers AP courses in 38 subjects, from AP Calculus and AP Biology to AP Art History and AP Computer Science. Students who score a 3 or higher on the AP exam (out of 5) may receive college credit, depending on the college's policies. AP participation rates are an important indicator of a high school's academic culture and resource access. Schools with high AP enrollment signal that they provide challenging coursework and support students in pursuing college-level academics. However, AP access is unevenly distributed, schools in wealthier communities typically offer 15-20 AP courses, while schools in low-income areas may offer only 3-5 or none at all. This disparity contributes to the college readiness gap between high-income and low-income students. On OpenSchoolData, AP course availability is noted in school profiles when data is available from NCES. Schools that offer more AP courses and have higher participation rates generally demonstrate stronger academic cultures. The College Board has expanded AP access programs in recent years to encourage more students from underrepresented backgrounds to participate.

Related Terms

• Gifted and Talented Program, Specialized educational services for students identified as having exceptional academic or creative abilities, offering accelerated or enriched curriculum beyond the standard grade-level program.
• Graduation Rate, The percentage of students who earn a regular high school diploma within four years of entering ninth grade, calculated using the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) method required by federal law.
• College Readiness, The level of academic preparation a student needs to succeed in credit-bearing college coursework without remediation, typically measured by SAT/ACT scores, AP participation, and course rigor.