Beyond Your Campus: AP Student Participation Continues to Increase
In 2024, student participation in Advanced Placement exams reached an all-time high. The AP Exam administration, held from May 6 to May 24, saw nearly 3 million US students taking 5.5 million AP Exams. This marks a 7% increase in student participation and a 10% rise in the number of exams taken compared to 2023.
*Figures above are based on US student participation
The number of students scoring 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam has also increased since last year. In 2024, nearly 2 million students achieved a score of 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam, compared to 1.7 million students in the 2023 administration.
Increase in Number of Students Scoring 3 or Higher on at Least One AP Exam, 2021-2024
*Figures above are based on US student participation
Two new AP Exams had their first official Exam administration this year: AP Precalculus and AP African American Studies. These exams saw the largest new exam administration since Computer Science Principles in 2017. Over 175,000 students took the AP Precalculus Exam and over 10,000 students took the AP African American Studies Exam. Together, these two new exams represent over 186,000 examinees and 139,000 scores of 3 or higher.
Examinees in the Most Recently Released AP Courses’ First Exam Administration
*Figures above are based on US student participation
Of the students who took AP Exams this year, approximately 31% were high school seniors. Out of more than 634,000 high school seniors who took AP exams and achieved at least one score of 3 or higher, 72% sent their scores to higher education institutions. This represents over 456,000 seniors with scores of 3 or higher sending their scores to colleges, an increase of 7% compared to 2023.
Increase in High School Seniors Sending Scores of 3 or Higher to Institutions
*Figures above are based on US student participation
With more students sending AP scores for potential credit or placement, higher education institutions continue to widely offer credit for AP Exams. Based on a 2023 survey of AP Credit Policies, 80% of individual exam policies at 4-year US campuses offering AP credit award credit for qualifying AP scores. The majority of these policies grant credit for AP exam scores of 3.
AP Exam Performance Scores Required for Credit, Based on 4-Year Institutions’ Exam-Level Policies
