• AP Scholar Awards

    The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the 1.8 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award.


    The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams.

    Students qualify for the National AP Scholars Award By earning an average score of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken and scores of four or higher on eight or more of these exams.

    To qualify for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of three or higher on five or more of these exams.

    To earn the AP Scholar with Honor Award, students must score an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of three or higher on four or more of these exams. 

    By completing three or more AP Exams with grades of three or higher, students qualify for the AP Scholar Award.

    Through more than 30 different college-level courses and exams, AP provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit or advanced placement and stand out in the college admissions process. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP exams are aligned with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions. More than 3,600 colleges and universities annually receive AP grades. Over 90 percent of four-year colleges in the United States provide credit and/or placement for qualifying exam grades. Research consistently shows that AP students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams (based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest) typically experience greater academic success in college and higher graduation rates than students who do not participate in AP.

    The College Board is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,600 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the Advanced Placement Program (AP). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.