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Advanced Placement

Advanced placement participation of Minnesota high school students

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered in 230 (out of 445) Minnesota high schools to prepare students to take exams offered by the College Board. This program gives students the opportunity to take college-level courses while in high school and is one of several college prep options available to Minnesota high school students.

Of Minnesota test takers in 2017-2018:

  • 45,958 students took an AP exam, increasing 1.3 percent from last year.
  • 75,185 subject exams were taken in 34 subject-specific AP exams, increasing 2.2 percent from last year.
  • 49,903 exams (66 percent of total) had scores of 3 to 5, increasing 2.9 percent from last year.
  • 11,411 students of color (25 percent of total) took at least one AP exam.
  • Minnesota students of color had a lower percentage of scores 3 to 5 on AP exams than White students. However, Minnesota students outscored students nationally across all race/ethnic groups, except Asian students.
  • AP exams taken in mathematics and science grows. The number of biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, calculus, physics and statistics exams accounted for 36 percent of all subject-specific AP exams. The 26,879 math and science exams in 2018 increased from 2008 when 14,769 exams were taken.

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2018 Minnesota Advanced Placement Report

See advanced placement acceptance policies at Minnesota colleges.

Increasing Number of Minnesota Students Are Taking the Advanced Placement Exams


Source: College Board

Minnesota Students on Average Outscored the Nation on Advanced Placement Exams, 2017-2018 Academic Year


* An AP score of at least 3, on a scale of 1 to 5, is an indicator of ability to perform successful work at most colleges.
Source: College Board

71 Percent of Exams were Taken in 10 Subjects

Subject

Number

Percent of Total

Percent Score 3 to 5

History: United States

7,989

11%

57%

English Language & Composition

7,106

9%

67%

Human Geography

6,314

8%

62%

Mathematics: Calculus AB

5,954

8%

63%

English Literature & Composition

4,911

7%

61%

Statistics

4,835

6%

70%

History: World

4,621

6%

68%

Biology

4,563

6%

70%

Psychology

4,009

5%

73%

Government & Politics: United States

3,209

4%

58%

Total Top 10

53,511

71%

About the AP

College Board Race/Ethnic Background notes: Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, test-takers were given new options for reporting race/ethnicity; caution should be used in comparing data collected from previous years.

The College Board administers the Advanced Placement (AP) exam. Most students study for the AP exam by taking year-long AP specific courses offered through their high school. AP exams can also be taken by any student who has taken strong courses or studied in-depth on their own. AP coursework is available online through a variety of private education companies. The exams are optional. More students may take AP courses in high school then sit for the exam.

An AP grade of at least 3, on a scale of 1 to 5, is an indicator of an ability to do successful work at most colleges. Some colleges will grant new entering freshmen college credit if they obtain certain grades on their AP exams. Policies on granting college credit vary by college.


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