– AP Students | College Board (2024)

FAQs

How many students are AP students? ›

Nearly 1.2 million students in the class of 2023 took more than 4.1 million AP Exams in public high schools nationwide, as educators across the country continue to enable a wider and more diverse population of students to experience the benefits of AP courses.

Difficulty. While HL (“High Level”) IB courses are generally considered to be more difficult than equivalent or similar AP classes, SL (“Standard Level”) IB courses are typically seen as similar or easier than their AP counterparts.

1. AP Psychology. With a reputation as one of the easiest AP classes, it comes as no surprise that AP Psychology is also one of the most popular—292,501 students took the exam in 2021. Despite the relative ease of this course, students still struggle; just 58.3% of students pass but 17.0% earned a 5.

The decision, according to school administrators, came after teachers noticed that only a small number of black and Hispanic students were enrolling in Advanced Placement (A.P.) courses. "It was very jarring when teachers looked at their AP enrollment and realized Black and brown kids were not there.

White students enroll in these courses at a considerably higher rate than non-white students, according to statistics, and this is because educators tend to recommend these courses to them more often. Bias is generated by the fact that there is a lack of diversity among educators, which causes a huge enrollment gap.

According to the College Board, AP English Language and Composition is the most popular AP class. This AP course was taken by 520,771 students in 2022. AP United States History, AP Psychology, AP Calculus AB, and AP Spanish Language and Culture follow after it respectively.

Harvard does not explicitly state a preference for IB or AP courses. To receive credit for IB classes, accepted students must earn an IB diploma.

From my experience with my own child's college application process, I can say that colleges generally don't have a strong preference for either AP or IB courses. Both programs are respected and recognized by colleges for their rigor, and taking a mix of both can actually showcase your versatility and adaptability.

What does IB stand for? ›

What is IB? "IB" stands for "International Baccalaureate." The International Baccalaureate is a non-profit educational foundation serving students aged 3 to 19.

At many high schools, AP Physics is notorious for its difficulty level. In addition, it has the lowest overall pass rate of any AP exam.

This is the big year for all levels of student.

Depending on what kind of school you want to go to, you should be taking between 3 and 5 AP® classes this year. You will need to manage your time well, however, as you also need to study for the SAT® or ACT® during this time.

TOP 10 Toughest AP Subject to Score a 5

AP 3-D Art and Design tops this list with the 5-score rate of 6.4% but has a passing rate of 73.5%. So while it is the hardest AP subject to achieve a perfect 5, the second on this list, AP Physics 1, is actually the hardest.

You can study for the exam on your own. Compared to the 2.66 million students who took AP courses in 2022, 4.76 million took AP exams.

Among public schools offering any of grades 9 or above (“9-12 schools”), 73 percent offer at least one of the following types of advanced coursework: Advanced Placement (AP), Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or dual enrollment courses.

Completing an AP course and exam is associated with a range of positive postsecondary outcomes for students, including greater likelihood of enrollment in and completion of college, strong first-year performance, and success in subsequent college courses.

What is the most popular AP class taken? According to the College Board, AP English Language and Composition is the most popular AP class. This AP course was taken by 520,771 students in 2022.