AP Computer Science A credit at Colorado colleges
Every Colorado college with a published AP Computer Science A credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
11 of 20 Colorado colleges (55%) award credit for AP Computer Science A at a score of 3. 7 require a 4 and 2 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Colorado State University-Fort Collins (4 credit hours). 18 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins | 3 | 4 | CIS 1++ | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | CS 1050 | Policy | |
 Front Range Community College Westminster | 3 | 4 | CSC 1060 Computer Science I | Policy |
 Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs | 3 | 4 | CSC 1060 Computer Science I | Policy |
 Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction | 3 | 4 | CSCI 110 & CSCI 110L | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | CS 120 | Policy | |
 Fort Lewis College Durango | 3 | 3 | GS T1XX | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | CIS Elective | Policy | |
 Colorado College Colorado Springs | 3 | 1 | Credit for CP115; Placement into CP116 | Policy |
MCC Morgan Community College Fort Morgan | 3 | 4 | CSC 1060 | — |
 Naropa University Boulder | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| 4 | 3 | XDEN 1999AE | Policy | |
 University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs | 4 | 3 | CS 1150 | Policy |
 University of Denver Denver | 4 | 3 | COMP 1351 | Policy |
 Colorado School of Mines Golden | 4 | 3 | CSCI 128 | Policy |
 Regis University Denver | 4 | 3 | CS 210 | Policy |
 Western Colorado University Gunnison | 4 | 3 | CS 190 | Policy |
CNCC | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| 5 | 4 | CSCI 1300 | Policy | |
 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy | 5 | — | Comp Sci 210 | Policy |
AP Computer Science A credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Colorado 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 Colorado colleges give credit for AP Computer Science A?+
20 colleges in Colorado publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Computer Science A. 11 of them (55%) award credit at a score of 3, 7 require a 4, and 2 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 Computer Science A score that earns credit in Colorado?+
3. Colorado State University-Fort Collins in Fort Collins awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as CIS 1++. 11 Colorado colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Colorado?+
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 Colorado AP credit policies?+
18 of the 20 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.