AP Biology College Credit

By Wiingy on Mar 23, 2023

Updated Mar 12, 2025

AP Biology Credit Policy

What is the AP Biology College Credit? Students who choose AP courses aim to advance in their academics. AP classes are advanced-level and are equivalent to introductory college-level courses. Colleges grant credits of placement passing an AP course as it shows a great deal of commitment and hard work.

In this blog, we will talk about the AP Biology credit policy, how many colleges in the US offer credits for AP Biology, and the credit policy of the top 20 colleges in the US.

Boost your AP scores before exam day! Book a free trial with Wiingy’s top AP Biology tutors and ensure you don’t miss out on scoring high. Every point counts towards your dream college. Act now!

AP Biology college credit & placement

If you have opted for AP courses it shows a great deal of commitment and hard work on your part as these courses are advanced-level and equivalent to introductory college-level courses.

So, the biggest advantage of taking an AP course is that you gain either college credits or advanced placement. Gaining credits or placement from your college will help in finishing college sooner than usual. Now, let’s understand the difference between AP credits and placements.

AP credits

If you have passed an AP course by securing the required score specified by your college for that course then the college grants you a few college credits even before you have started college.

For example, you get a score of 4 in your AP Biology course. The college that you are applying to accepts students with a minimum of 4 points for AP Biology and grants 5 credits for AP Biology. So, you go to college with 5 credits under your belt even before starting out college.

So, on average students need 120 credits to graduate so gaining credits even starting college allows you to complete college sooner than usual and before most students.

Advanced placement

Instead of credits, some colleges allow you to skip some classes. These classes can be introductory courses for your major or core courses made mandatory by the college.

Colleges allow students to skip these classes because the student has studied what is on those courses during their AP classes.

AP Biology Exam Guide
AP Biology Exam Guide

Do colleges offer credits for AP Biology?

Yes, of course! Colleges offer credits for AP Biology but they have their own set of credit policies and they differ from each other. As the credit policy of colleges varies a lot it is always recommended to read their policies in detail before applying.

Acceptable AP scoresNo.of colleges
Total no.of colleges offering AP credits for AP Biology1960
No.of colleges accepting 5 AP scores31
No.of colleges accepting 4 AP score447
No.of colleges accepting 3 AP score1481
No.of colleges accepting 2 AP score1
No.of colleges offering AP Biology credits

Source: College Board

From the above table, you can clearly see that a total number of 1960 colleges offer credits for AP Biology. Out of these colleges, 31 accepts only 5 AP score, 447 colleges accept 4 or more score, 1481 accepts 3 or more score, 1 college accept 2 or more score, and no college accepts an AP score of 1.

AP Biology credit policy of top 20 colleges

CollegeMinimum score requiredMinimum credit offeredAP credit policy linkAdditional notes
Princeton University

Princeton, NJ
52Princeton AP Biology credit policy
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA
0MIT AP Biology credit policyNo AP credits are granted by MIT for the AP Biology exam.
Harvard University

Cambridge, MA
58Harvard AP Biology credit policy To be eligible for Advance Standing at Harvard University, students need a total of 32 credits in their AP classes. This can be earned by scoring 5 in four AP exams.
Stanford University

Stanford, CA
0Stanford AP Biology credit policyNo AP credits are granted by Stanford for the AP Biology exam.
Yale University

New Haven, CT
0Yale AP Biology credit policyNo AP credits are granted by Yale University for the AP Biology exam.
University of Chicago

Chicago, IL
4BIOS 10130University of Chicago AP Biology credit policyUChicago offers advanced placement for AP Biology.
Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD
56John Hopkins AP Biology credit policy
University of Pennsylvania5University of Pennsylvania AP Biology credit policy UPenn doesn’t grant credit for the AP Biology exams.
California Institute of Technology0Caltech AP Biology credit policyCaltech doesn’t grant credit for AP exams.
Duke University

Durham, NC
4BIOLOGY 21Duke AP Biology credit policyDuke University offers advanced placement for AP Biology.
Northwestern University

Evanston, IL
51Northwestern AP Biology credit policy
Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH
0Dartmouth AP Biology credit policy Dartmouth doesn’t grant credit for the AP Biology exams.
Brown University

Providence, RI
4BIOL 0200Brown University AP Biology credit policyAP credit for BIOL 0200
Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN
44Vanderbilt University AP Biology credit policy
Rice University

Houston, TX
46Rice University AP Biology credit policy
Washington University in St. Louis

Saint Louis, MO
46Washington University in St. Louis AP Biology credit policy
Cornell University

Ithaca, NY
44Cornell AP Biology credit policy
Columbia
University

New York, NY
53Columbia AP Biology credit policy
University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN
58University of Notre Dame AP Biology credit policy
University of California, Berkley

Berkley, CA
35.3University of California, Berkley AP Biology credit policy
AP Biology Credit Policies of Popular US Colleges

AP Biology Credit Policies of Popular US Colleges

Boost your AP scores before exam day! Book a free trial with Wiingy’s top AP Biology tutors and ensure you don’t miss out on scoring high. Every point counts towards your dream college. Act now!

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does Harvard take AP Bio credit?

Yes, Harvard grants 8 AP credits for AP Bio. To get this credit, students need a total of 32 credits in their AP classes. This can be earned by scoring 5 in four AP exams.

Does UCLA accept AP Biology credits?

Yes, UCLA grants 8 credits to students who have secured 3 or higher in AP Biology.

Does Stanford accept AP Bio?

No, Stanford doesn’t accept AP Biology. It doesn’t grant any credit for AP Biology.

Do most colleges accept AP Bio credit?

Yes, according to College Board, a total of 1960 colleges accept AP Biology credit and offer either credits or advanced placement for AP Biology.

Does NYU accept AP Bio credit?

Yes, NYU accepts AP Biology credits. It grants a total of 8 credits to students who have secured an AP score of 4 or more in their AP Biology exam.

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Reviewed by Wiingy

Mar 12, 2025

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