Do AP credits transfer to college?

I've taken several AP courses in high school, and I wonder if these credits will transfer to colleges. How can I find out which colleges accept my AP scores?

Yes, many colleges do accept AP credits, though the specific practices can vary sizably between institutions. Most colleges have a credit-by-exam policy, which you can usually find in the admissions section of the college's website or by searching the college's name along with "AP credit policy" (college websites can be tricky to navigate, so this may be a more efficient way of getting you right to the information you need.

You can also use the College Board's own AP Credit Policy Search tool: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting-credit-placement/search-policies/. However, I'd recommend cross-checking the information directly with the schools, as there might be additional details to be aware of, like exactly which level of a course you'd be eligible to place into, or the policy around which exams or scores they accept may even have recently been updated.

Some schools accept lower scores like a 3, while others require a score of 4 or 5 to earn college credit. For certain colleges, the exact score needed for credit can even differ between courses. For example, a college might require a 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam for credit in calculus courses, whereas a score of 4 might suffice for an AP Biology exam.

Additionally, some universities cap the number of credits they'll accept from AP exams, while others allow these credits only to be used towards elective courses as opposed to major requirements, or allow them to place you into a higher level of a course, but not to waive a requirement altogether. Therefore, even if you do earn credit, it may not always translate to an earlier graduation date.

So, it's highly advisable that you research each of your prospective college's policies when considering how your AP scores might factor into your college plan.