Students opt for AP classes to advance their academics. AP courses are equivalent to college-level courses choosing them and securing good scores on the exam will help you gain AP credits or placement from your college.
In this blog, we will talk about the AP Chemistry credit policy, how many colleges offer credits for this course, and the credit policies of the top 20 colleges in the USA.
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AP Chemistry credit
If you are reading this blog, it means you have opted for AP Chemistry and are curious to know about the AP Chemistry credit policies, in general, and college-specific. But before that let’s understand how AP credits work and how it is different from AP placements.
AP credits
Let’s understand it through an example. So, for instance, you have secured a 4 in your AP Chemistry exam, and the college you have been selected in offers you 6 credits for that. So, that means that you already have 6 credits to your name before even starting college.
Typically, you need to secure 120 credits to graduate from college, so gaining credits for your AP score, even before starting out, will definitely help you finish your college sooner than usual.
Advanced placement
Some colleges offer advanced placement instead of credits. This means that colleges allow you to skip some classes. These classes can be introductory courses for your major or core courses required by the college.
Colleges allow this placement because AP students would have already studied what is on those courses. So, offering them to skip these courses allow students to finish college sooner than usual.
Do colleges offer credits for AP Chemistry?
Yes, colleges do offer college credits for your AP Chemistry score. AP Chemistry is one of the most widely accepted AP exams. Every college has a different credit policy. The credit colleges offer and the score they accept varies from college to college so read about the AP credit policy in detail for your targeted college.
| Acceptable AP scores | No.of colleges |
|---|---|
| Total no.of colleges offering AP credits for AP Chemistry | 1957 |
| No.of colleges accepting 5 AP scores | 28 |
| No.of colleges accepting 4 or more AP scores | 476 |
| No.of colleges accepting 3 or more AP scores | 1450 |
| No.of colleges accepting 2 or more AP scores | 2 |
| No.of colleges accepting 1 AP score | 1 |
Source: College Board
From the above table, you can clearly see that a total number of 1957 colleges offer credits for AP Chemistry. Out of these colleges, 28 accept a 5 AP score, 476 colleges accept an AP score of 4, 1450 accept an AP score of 3, 2 colleges accept an AP score of 2, and only one college, Williams College, accepts 1 score.
AP Chemistry credit policies for top 20 colleges
Below is the list of the top 20 colleges and universities in the USA and their AP Chemistry credit policy.
| College | Minimum score required | Minimum credit offered | AP credit policy link | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ | 4 | 1 | Princeton AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | 0 | MIT AP Chemistry credit policy | No AP credits are granted by MIT for the AP Chemistry exam. | |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | 5 | 8 | Harvard AP Chemistry 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 | 4 | Stanford AP Chemistry credit policy | ||
| Yale University New Haven, CT | 0 | Yale AP Chemistry credit policy | No AP credits are granted by Yale University for the AP Chemistry exam. | |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | 5 | CHEM 11100 | University of Chicago AP Chemistry credit policy | UChicago offers advanced placement for AP Chemistry. |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | 4 | 4 | John Hopkins AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5 | EAS 091 (1 c.u.), for Engineering students only | University of Pennsylvania AP Chemistry credit policy | UPenn offers advanced placement for AP Chemistry. |
| California Institute of Technology | 0 | Caltech AP Chemistry credit policy | Caltech doesn’t grant credit for AP exams. | |
| Duke University Durham, NC | 4 | CHEM 21 | Duke AP Chemistry credit policy | Duke University offers advanced placement for AP Chemistry. |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | 4 | 1 | Northwestern AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | 4 | 5 | Dartmouth AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| Brown University Providence, RI | 4 | Brown University AP Chemistry credit policy | No AP credit, but students with a score of 4 or 5 may enroll in Chemistry 0330 without taking the placement exam. | |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | 5 | 8 | Vanderbilt University AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| Rice University Houston, TX | 4 | 8 | Rice University AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| Washington University in St. Louis Saint Louis, MO | 4 | 3 | Washington University in St. Louis AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | 5 | 4 | Cornell AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| Columbia University New York, NY | 3 | 3 | Columbia AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | 4 | 3 | University of Notre Dame AP Chemistry credit policy | |
| University of California, Berkley Berkley, CA | 3 | 5.3 | Univesity of California, Berkley AP Chemistry credit policy |
Conclusion
Taking an AP course can be challenging as they are advanced-level and are equivalent to college courses but taking them and securing a good mark in the course can get you into a good college with credit or placement.
Credit or placement granted by colleges or universities will help you in gaining either college credit or allow you to skip some classes and ultimately allows you to complete your college sooner than usual.
Before applying to colleges do read their credit policy for your AP course so that you know what they are offering and how much you need to score to get into that college.
Boost your AP scores before exam day! Book a free trial with Wiingy’s top AP Chemistry tutors and ensure you don’t miss out on scoring high. Every point counts towards your dream college. Act now!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Do you get credit for AP Chemistry?
Yes, most colleges or universities offer credit for AP Chemistry with few expectations like Yale University, Caltech, MIT, etc. So read the credit policy for AP Chemistry of your targeted college before applying.
Do colleges accept a 3 on AP Chem?
Yes,1450 colleges in the US accept a 3 on AP Chem.
What percent do you need to get a 2 on AP Chem?
You need 24% to get a 2 on AP Chem.
Is AP Chemistry hard?
Yes, AP Chemistry is considered one of the hardest AP classes, based on the passing rate and students’ opinions shared over online discussion forums.
AP Chemistry, in particular, is one of the most rigorous AP classes, with its complex concepts and challenging exams. To ensure you’re fully prepared, private tutoring can provide the personalized support you need.
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How many credits is AP Chemistry?
The credit policy of any AP course varies from college to college. Some colleges might not even offer credits at all. Some might only offer advanced placement and some might offer both. So, it is better to read the AP credit policy of colleges for AP Chemistry.
Mar 12, 2025
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