AP Biology credit at California colleges
Every California college with a published AP Biology credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
160 of 178 California colleges (90%) award credit for AP Biology at a score of 3. 18 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at California State University-Fullerton (6 credit hours). 170 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | BIOL 101 (3), BIOL 101L (1), Electives (2) | Policy | |
 California State University-Long Beach Long Beach | 3 | 6 | BIOL 200 & BIOL electives | Policy |
| 3 | 8 | BILD 10 | Policy | |
 San Diego State University San Diego | 3 | 6 | BIOL 100, BIOL 100L, and 2 units of BIOL 299 | Policy |
| 3 | 5 | — | Policy | |
 University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles | 3 | 8 | — | Policy |
 California State University-Northridge Northridge | 3 | 6 | BIOL 101/L or Consult Biology Dept. if another course is required in major | Policy |
| 3 | 8 | BIS 010 | Policy | |
| 3 | 8 | Non-Bio. Sci. majors earn one Biological Sciences course toward Category II of the UCI GE requirement. Bio. Sci. majors earn elective credit only | Policy | |
 California State University-Sacramento Sacramento | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 San Jose State University San Jose | 3 | 6 | BIOL 010 | Policy |
 American River College Sacramento | 3 | 3 | BIOL 300 | Policy |
 Mt San Antonio College Walnut | 3 | 6 | BIOL 1 | Policy |
 East Los Angeles College Monterey Park | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | — | Policy | |
 Ashford University San Diego | 3 | 4 | SCIENTIFIC REASONING COMPETENCY | Policy |
 University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara | 3 | 8 | EEMB 22, MCDB 20 | Policy |
 Santa Ana College Santa Ana | 3 | 4 | BIOL 109 + 109L or 190 + 190L | Policy |
 Long Beach City College Long Beach | 3 | 6 | BIO 41P (3), BIO 41LP (1) and BIO 99P | — |
 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo | 3 | 9 | (BIO 111 or BIO 213) and (BMED 213 or BRAE 213) and GE B3 and Elective Unit | Policy |
 California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Santa Monica College Santa Monica | 3 | 4 | BIOL 3 | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | BIOL 1A and BIOL Elective | Policy | |
 Pasadena City College Pasadena | 3 | 4 | BIOL 011 | Policy |
 San Francisco State University San Francisco | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | Biology 10 | Policy | |
FCC Fresno City College Fresno | 3 | 4 | BIOL 3 | — |
 Cerritos College Norwalk | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz | 3 | 8 | — | Policy |
 Riverside City College Riverside | 3 | 4 | Biology 1 | Policy |
 Sacramento City College Sacramento | 3 | 3 | BIOL C1001 (formerly BIOL 308) | Policy |
 Southwestern College Chula Vista | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100 and 101 | Policy |
 Fullerton College Fullerton | 3 | 5 | BIOL 101 F | Policy |
 Bakersfield College Bakersfield | 3 | 4 | BIOL B11 | Policy |
 Palomar College San Marcos | 3 | 6 | BIOL 100 | Policy |
 Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | 3 | 4 | Biol A100 | Policy |
CCSF City College of San Francisco San Francisco | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Saddleback College Mission Viejo | 3 | 4 | BIO 20 | Policy |
 San Diego Mesa College San Diego | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino | 3 | 6 | BIOL 1000>A and BIOL 1000L>A | Policy |
 College of the Canyons Santa Clarita | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Rio Hondo College Whittier | 3 | 4 | BIOL 101 | Policy |
 De Anza College Cupertino | 3 | 4 | BIOL 10 | Policy |
 Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto | 3 | 6 | BIOL-C1000 | Policy |
 Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill | 3 | 6 | — | — |
 Modesto Junior College Modesto | 3 | 4 | BIO 111 | Policy |
 California State University-San Marcos San Marcos | 3 | 6 | GES 102 | Policy |
 San Joaquin Delta College Stockton | 3 | 4 | — | — |
 Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga | 3 | 4 | BIOL-1 | — |
 Cosumnes River College Sacramento | 3 | 3 | BIOL 308 | Policy |
 Sierra College Rocklin | 3 | 4 | BIOL 11 | Policy |
| 3 | 8 | BIOL 161 and BIOL 162, or BIOL/SCED 102 | Policy | |
 Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | BIO 102, 103 | Policy | |
 Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen | 3 | 6 | BIOLOGY 003 or 005 | Policy |
 Cypress College Cypress | 3 | 5 | BIOL 101 | Policy |
 Victor Valley College Victorville | 3 | 4 | Biol 100 | Policy |
 Moorpark College Moorpark | 3 | 6 | BIOL M01 | Policy |
 Grossmont College El Cajon | 3 | 4 | BIO 120 | Policy |
 San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | BIOL 101/L | Policy | |
 Chabot College Hayward | 3 | 4 | Biology 41 | Policy |
 Los Angeles City College Los Angeles | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 College of the Sequoias Visalia | 3 | 4 | BIOL 020 | Policy |
 San Diego Miramar College San Diego | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
SCC Santiago Canyon College Orange | 3 | 3 | BIOL 109 + 109L | Policy |
 MiraCosta College Oceanside | 3 | 6 | BIO 110 or BIO 111 and BIO 111L | Policy |
| 3 | 10 | BIOL 1001, 1002, 1403 | Policy | |
 Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 National University San Diego | 3 | 12 | BIO 100, BIO 100A, 1 Area A-G | Policy |
 Merced College Merced | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Folsom Lake College Folsom | 3 | 6 | BIOL 310 | Policy |
 Golden West College Huntington Beach | 3 | 4 | BIOL G100 | Policy |
 College of the Desert Palm Desert | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
| 3 | 8 | BIOL 1010 & 1020 | Policy | |
 Butte College Oroville | 3 | 6 | BIOL-1 | Policy |
| 3 | 5.3 | General Education Credit: fulfills (1) Approaches to Knowledge course for the Area A: Life Science requirement. | Policy | |
 Norco College Norco | 3 | 4 | Biology 1 | Policy |
 Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley | 3 | 4 | Biology 1 | — |
 California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Citrus College Glendora | 3 | 4 | BIOL 105 | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | BIOLOGY 003 | Policy | |
 California Baptist University Riverside | 3 | 4 | BIO 143 & BIO 143L | Policy |
 Allan Hancock College Santa Maria | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100 | Policy |
 Solano Community College Fairfield | 3 | 6 | BIO 015 | Policy |
 Evergreen Valley College San Jose | 3 | 4 | — | — |
 Cabrillo College Aptos | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 College of San Mateo San Mateo | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 West Los Angeles College Culver City | 3 | 3 | Biology 3A & 3B | Policy |
 Laney College Oakland | 3 | 4 | BIOL 10 | Policy |
 Hartnell College Salinas | 3 | 6 | BIO 10 + 2 Elective | Policy |
 Skyline College San Bruno | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Los Medanos College Pittsburg | 3 | 4 | BIOSC 10 | Policy |
 San Jose City College San Jose | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Coastline Community College Fountain Valley | 3 | 4 | BIOL C100 and C100L | Policy |
 Ohlone College Fremont | 3 | 6 | BIOL-130 | Policy |
 Imperial Valley College Imperial | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100 | Policy |
 Cuesta College San Luis Obispo | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Cuyamaca College El Cajon | 3 | 4 | BIO 130 and BIO 131 | Policy |
 Las Positas College Livermore | 3 | 6 | BIO 30 | Policy |
 Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 West Valley College Saratoga | 3 | 4 | Bio 10 | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | 5B+5C | Policy | |
 Monterey Peninsula College Monterey | 3 | 6 | BIOL 10 | — |
 Mission College Santa Clara | 3 | 4 | BIO 010+BIO 010L | Policy |
 Shasta College Redding | 3 | 4 | BIO 10, BIO 10L | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | BIOL 104 (GE area 5B Life Science & 5C Lab) | Policy | |
 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park | 3 | 6 | BIOL 110 | Policy |
 Merritt College Oakland | 3 | 4 | BIOL 10 | Policy |
 Crafton Hills College Yucaipa | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100 | Policy |
 Canada College Redwood City | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Reedley College Reedley | 3 | 4 | BIOL 10 & 10L | Policy |
CCC Contra Costa College San Pablo | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Berkeley City College Berkeley | 3 | 4 | BIOL 10 | Policy |
 Gavilan College Gilroy | 3 | 4 | BIO 10 | Policy |
 College of Alameda Alameda | 3 | 4 | BIOL 10 | Policy |
 Academy of Art University San Francisco | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
 College of Marin Kentfield | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Pepperdine University Malibu | 3 | 4 | Lab Science GE | Policy |
 College of the Redwoods Eureka | 3 | 3 | Biol 1 or Biol 3 | Policy |
 Cerro Coso Community College Ridgecrest | 3 | 4 | Biology C105 | Policy |
 Biola University La Mirada | 3 | 5 | Core Curriculum Science (or BIOS 100/BIOS 110). General elective only for biology majors | Policy |
UV University of La Verne La Verne | 3 | 4 | GE Life Science (LVLS) | Policy |
 Lemoore College Lemoore | 3 | 4 | Biology 001A | Policy |
TC Taft College Taft | 3 | 6 | BIOL 1510 | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | — | Policy | |
 Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego | 3 | 3 | Elective | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | BIOL 101 Natural Sciences | Policy | |
 Woodland Community College Woodland | 3 | 4 | BIOL 10L | Policy |
 Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe | 3 | 5 | — | Policy |
 Palo Verde College Blythe | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
MC Mendocino College Ukiah | 3 | 6 | BIO-200 | Policy |
 Porterville College Porterville | 3 | 4 | BIOL P110 | Policy |
 Barstow Community College Barstow | 3 | 4 | BIOL 2 | Policy |
 University of Redlands Redlands | 3 | 4 | NS Liberal Arts Inquiry requirement fulfilled | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | BIOL 199S, BIOL 199L | Policy | |
| 3 | 4 | For a score of 3= BIOL-100C/100CL • For a score of 4 or higher= BIOL-111/111L | Policy | |
 Columbia College Sonora | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | BIOL 100/L (GE) | Policy | |
FRCC | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100 | Policy |
 Lassen Community College Susanville | 3 | — | — | Policy |
 Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles | 3 | 3 | Natural Science | Policy |
 Dominican University of California San Rafael | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Copper Mountain Community College Joshua Tree | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 William Jessup University Rocklin | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100/100L | Policy |
 Pacific Union College Angwin | 3 | 8 | — | Policy |
 Woodbury University Burbank | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Whittier College Whittier | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100 | Policy |
 Menlo College Atherton | 3 | 3 | Science W/Lab | Policy |
| 3 | 6 | — | Policy | |
 Hope International University Fullerton | 3 | 4 | SCI1200 SCI1205 OR SCI12010 and SCI1215 | Policy |
 University of Silicon Valley San Jose | 3 | — | GE: Math & Sciences | Policy |
| 3 | — | — | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | Science, Technology, & Culture | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | BMS 100 | Policy | |
| 3 | 4 | BIO 101, BIO 102 | Policy | |
 University of the West Rosemead | 3 | 3 | General Education | Policy |
BHDI Beverly Hills Design Institute Beverly Hills | 3 | — | — | Policy |
 University of Southern California Los Angeles | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Ventura College Ventura | 4 | 4 | BIOL V01 and V01L | Policy |
 Irvine Valley College Irvine | 4 | 4 | BIO 1 & BIO 1L | Policy |
 Chapman University Orange | 4 | 4 | BIOL-204 | Policy |
 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles | 4 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Santa Clara University Santa Clara | 4 | 4 | Elective Credit | Policy |
 Oxnard College Oxnard | 4 | 6 | BIOL R120 | Policy |
 University of San Francisco San Francisco | 4 | 8 | Biology 100, 103 | Policy |
 University of San Diego San Diego | 4 | 3 | Elective Credit | Policy |
 University of the Pacific Stockton | 4 | 4 | BIOL 041 | Policy |
 California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks | 4 | 4 | Bio 111 or 121 | Policy |
 Art Center College of Design Pasadena | 4 | 3 | — | Policy |
 Occidental College Los Angeles | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles | 4 | 8 | BIOL 1 & 2 | Policy |
 Pomona College Claremont | 4 | 1 | — | Policy |
 The Master's University and Seminary Santa Clarita | 4 | 3 | LS151 | Policy |
 Westmont College Santa Barbara | 4 | 4 | BIO-005 | Policy |
 Scripps College Claremont | 4 | 1 | — | Policy |
AP Biology credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per California college: the lowest score that earns actual credit under the policy that applies to all students, and the largest credit award published at that score. Placement-only policies — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours — are excluded. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced exactly as the college published them; “—” means no value was published and we do not estimate one. A page is published for a state only when at least 8 colleges back it.
Frequently asked questions
Which California colleges give credit for AP Biology?+
178 colleges in California publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Biology. 160 of them (90%) award credit at a score of 3, 18 require a 4, and 0 require a 5. The full list, with credit hours and the course each exam replaces, is in the table on this page.
What is the lowest AP Biology score that earns credit in California?+
3. California State University-Fullerton in Fullerton awards credit at a score of 3, worth 6 credit hours, counting as BIOL 101 (3), BIOL 101L (1), Electives (2). 160 California colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in California?+
No. AP credit policy is set per institution and applies to admitted students regardless of residency — residency affects tuition rate, not credit awards. What does vary is the school within a university: engineering and nursing colleges commonly set higher bars than arts and sciences. The rules shown here are the ones that apply to all students at each college.
How do I verify these California AP credit policies?+
170 of the 178 colleges on this page link to their own published AP credit page in the Source column; our snapshot was taken July 30, 2026. The college's page is authoritative and can change between admission cycles, so confirm there before building a graduation plan around the credit.
Keep exploring
Data sources: Each college's own published AP / advanced-standing credit page (captured July 30, 2026) · IPEDS institution directory (names, control, location). Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.