AP Research Summaries
Succeeding on an AP Exam is associated with a range of positive outcomes, from improved persistence to higher college grades. Furthermore, with improved access to AP, these outcomes are observed among traditionally underserved populations and among students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. Each section below provides links to research studies that further describe these—and other—benefits of AP.
- AP fosters college persistence and success
- AP offers opportunities for traditionally underserved students to succeed
- AP helps increase American student achievement in science and math
- Other foundational studies that demonstrate correlations between rigorous coursework and positive college outcomes
The studies below include multiple variables. Each one is placed in the section that has the strongest applicability, but may align with more than one of the benefits.
AP fosters college persistence and success
Low-SES Students and College Outcomes: The Role of AP Fee Reductions (2011)
by Jeffrey N. Wyatt and Krista D. Mattern
This study conducted descriptive analyses to evaluate the extent to which students of low socioeconomic status (SES) who participated in AP through the College Board's AP fee reduction program had higher college outcomes compared to non-AP low-SES students. Results showed that low-SES students participating in the AP fee reduction program were more likely to enroll in a four-year college, earn higher first-year grade point averages, and have higher retention rates than low-SES students who did not take any AP Exams. In addition, this pattern generally held when analyses were conducted separately by ethnicity, parental education, high school GPA and SAT score categories.
Advanced Placement and Exam-Taking and Performance Relationships with First-Year Subject Area College Grades (2011)
by Brian F. Patterson, Sheryl Packman, and Jennifer L. Kobrin
This study examined the relationship between AP Exam participation and performance and first-year subject area grade point average (GPA) in the subject area of the AP Exam(s). Nine subject areas were investigated including math, computer science, engineering, natural science, social science, history, English, world languages, and art and music. After controlling for gender, racial or ethnic identity, socioeconomic status and prior academic ability, results indicated that subject area GPA increased as average AP Exam score in that subject area increased. In addition, the number of AP Exams taken in the subject area improved the prediction accuracy of subject area GPA for three subjects: engineering, natural science, and social science, although the effect was small. Results also showed that for all but two subject areas (art and music and computer science) students earning a mean AP Exam score of 3 earned significantly higher subject area GPAs than non-AP students. In addition, even students earning an average AP Exam score of 2 outperformed non-AP students in four subject areas (math, history, English, and world languages).
A Comparison of College Performances of Matched AP and Non-AP Student Groups (2009)
by Daniel Murphy and Barbara Dodd
This study reanalyzed data from Keng and Dodd (2007) and expanded the original work by matching all of the AP and non-AP comparison groups included in the analysis in terms of SAT scores and high school rank across the four entering freshman cohorts (1998-2002) at the University of Texas at Austin. The study compared AP and non-AP groups across 10 high volume AP Exams on a number of college outcomes including first-year credit hours and GPA, subject or subject area credit hours and GPA, overall college credit hours and GPA, and subsequent course grade. Results showed that for each of the 10 AP Exams studied, AP students who earned college credit as a result of their AP Exam score consistently outperformed non-AP students on most outcomes.
The Relationship Between AP Exam Performance and College Outcomes (2009)
by Krista Mattern, Emily Shaw and Xinhui Xiong
This study focused on the relationship between students' performance in AP English Language, Biology, Calculus and U.S. History, and their subsequent college success. For each AP Exam studied, students were divided into three groups according to their AP Exam performance (no AP Exam taken, score of 1 or 2, and a score of 3 or higher). Subsequent college success was measured by students' first-year college GPA (FYGPA), retention to the second year, and institutional selectivity. Results indicated that, even after controlling for students' SAT scores and high school GPA as measures of prior academic performance, students with an AP score of 3 or higher outperformed the other two groups. Additionally, students with an AP score of 1 or 2 tended to outperform students with no AP scores on most outcomes.
A Comparison of College Performances of AP and Non-AP Student Groups in 10 Subject Areas (2008)
by Leslie Keng and Barbara G. Dodd
This study sought to compare the performance of students in AP compared to non-AP students on a number of college outcome measures including first-year credit hours and GPA, subject or subject area credit hours and GPA, overall college credit hours and GPA, and subsequent course grade. Ten individual AP Exams were examined in this study of students in four entering classes (1998-2001) at the University of Texas at Austin. Results showed that for each of the 10 AP Exams studied, AP students who earned college credit as a result of their AP Exam score consistently outperformed non-AP students on most outcomes.
The Relationship Between Advanced Placement and College Graduation (2006)
by Chrys Dougherty, Lynn Mellor and Shuling Jian
This study explored the effects of AP course participation and AP Exam performance on college completion by following a statewide cohort of Texas eighth graders who graduated from high school in 1998 and subsequently enrolled in a Texas public college or university within 12 months after graduation. The study found that students who earned a 3 or higher on one or more AP Exams in the areas of English, mathematics, science or social studies were more likely to graduate from college in five years or less compared to non-AP students after controlling for prior academic achievement and other student-level (e.g., free or reduced-price lunch status) and school-level demographic characteristics (e.g., percentage of low-income students, district dropout rate). Results showed that the best AP-related indicator for predicting how well a school prepared students to graduate from college was the percent of students in the school taking and performing well (3 or higher) on AP Exams.
AP offers opportunities for traditionally underserved students to succeed
College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and Non-AP High School Experiences (2008)
by Linda Hargrove, Donn Godin and Barbara G. Dodd
Performance was examined for five cohorts of 1998-2002 Texas public high school graduates through their first year and 1998-2001 cohorts through their fourth year of Texas public higher education. Student performance on college outcomes included: first- and fourth-year GPAs; first- and fourth-year credit hours earned; and four-year graduation status. Outcomes were compared across students who varied by three types of AP (course only, exam only, and both course and exam) and two types of non-AP (dual enrollment only and other course only) experiences in high school. SAT scores and free or reduced- price lunch participation status were used to account for background differences among students. Results showed that students in the AP Course and Exam Group outperformed other groups on most college outcomes
AP Students in College: An Analysis of Five-Year Academic Trends (2007)
by Rick Morgan and John Klaric
The purpose of the study was to explore the academic careers of students who took AP Exams and to compare their careers with those who did not take AP Exams. For most AP Exams, students with AP Exam scores of 3 or higher had higher average grades in intermediate college courses than did non-AP students who took the introductory course at the college. In addition, results showed that AP students who took at least one AP Exam were more likely to graduate from college at their original institution in five years or less, controlling for SAT scores, compared to non-AP students. This finding was consistent across the four racial and ethnic groups examined (African American, Asian, Hispanic and White). Finally, descriptive analyses showed that AP students were more likely to graduate with major in a discipline closely related to their AP Exam compared to non-AP students. In addition, female and underrepresented students who took AP Exams in math and science were more likely to major in STEM fields compared to non-AP students.
AP helps increase American student achievement in science and math
Advanced Placement Course Enrollment and Long-Range Educational Outcomes (2010)
by Robert H. Tai , Christine Qi Liu, Liu, John T. Almarode and Xitao Fan
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students who take AP Calculus and AP science exams are more likely to major in STEM-related disciplines than non-AP students. Taking into account relevant control variables (prior academic achievement, gender, ethnicity, parental education, socioeconomic status and eighth grade career expectations), results showed that students who took an exam in AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC were more likely to earn degrees in physical science and engineering concentrations compared to students who did not take any AP Calculus exams. Students who took an exam in AP Biology, Chemistry or Physics were more likely to earn degrees in life science concentrations than students who did not take any AP science exams. To learn more about this study, you may visit the Harvard Education Press website.
How Well Do Advanced Placement Students Perform on the TIMSS Advanced Mathematics and Physics Tests? (2001)
by Eugenio J. Gonzalez, Kathleen M. O'Connor and Julie A. Miles
This study by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) International Study Center demonstrated that AP students who score a 3 or higher on the AP Physics and Calculus exams outperform physics and advanced math students from the United States and other countries in mathematics and science achievement.
Other foundational studies that demonstrate correlations between rigorous coursework and positive college outcomes
Is AP Exam Participation and Performance Related to Choice of College Major? (2011)
by Krista D. Mattern, Emily J. Shaw and Maureen Ewing
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students who take an AP Exam in a certain content domain are more likely to major in that domain than students not taking an AP Exam in that area. After taking into account relevant control variables, results indicated a positive relationship between AP Exam participation and majoring in a related field in college across all content areas; however, the effect was stronger for some areas than others. Additionally, students' AP scores in that content domain were also related to their likelihood of majoring in that domain. Results showed that students who took no AP Exams were more likely to be undeclared.
Examining the Role of Advanced Placement Exam Participation in 4-Year College Enrollment (2011)
by Michael Chajewski, Krista D. Mattern, and Emily J. Shaw
This study examined the relationship between AP Exam participation and enrollment in four-year post-secondary institutions. Four AP Exam participation groups were formed according to the number of AP Exams taken (i.e., no AP Exams, one AP Exam, two or three AP Exams, and four or more AP Exams). A national sample of over 1.5 million students was analyzed. After controlling for student demographic and ability characteristics and high school level predictors, results showed that AP Exam participation was related to college enrollment with the odds of attending a four-year postsecondary institution increasing by at least 171 percent for all three AP Exam participation groups as compared to students who took no AP Exams. For more information, visit Wiley Online Library
The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School through College (2006)
This follow-up to Adelman's original study, Answers in the Toolbox (1999), evaluated factors associated with bachelor's degree completion. Like the original study, it found that the academic intensity of a student's high school curriculum was the most important precollegiate predictor of bachelor's degree completion.
The Role of Advanced Placement and Honors Courses in College Admissions (2004)
by Saul Geiser and Veronica Santelices
This study examined the role of AP course participation and AP Exam performance in predicting college performance using data from the University of California system. Findings indicated that the number of AP courses taken—irrespective of whether the student took the AP Exam—was statistically significant, but contributed very little to the prediction of college grades after taking into account high school GPA, SAT scores, SAT Subject Test™ scores, high school quality and parental education. On the other hand, when the study focused solely on the group of students who took the AP Exam, the analyses found that AP Exam performance was among the strongest predictors of college grades and was second in strength only to high school GPA.