AP Computer Science A credit at Massachusetts colleges
Every Massachusetts college with a published AP Computer Science A credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
28 of 55 Massachusetts colleges (51%) award credit for AP Computer Science A at a score of 3. 25 require a 4 and 2 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Bridgewater State University (3 credit hours). 55 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater | 3 | 3 | COMP 151 or CS Free Elective | Policy |
 Quinsigamond Community College Worcester | 3 | 3 | CIS 121 | Policy |
 University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth | 3 | 3 | CIS 800 | Policy |
 Bristol Community College Fall River | 3 | 4 | CIS 157 | Policy |
 Middlesex Community College Bedford | 3 | 4 | CSC 252 | Policy |
 Suffolk University Boston | 3 | 4 | COMP SCI ELECTIVE | Policy |
| 3 | — | CSC110 or ITE 210 | Policy | |
 Merrimack College North Andover | 3 | 4 | CSC 1610 | Policy |
 Springfield Technical Community College Springfield | 3 | 4 | CSC 101/L | Policy |
 Worcester State University Worcester | 3 | 4 | CS-140 | Policy |
 Westfield State University Westfield | 3 | 3 | CAIS 9998 | Policy |
 Northern Essex Community College Haverhill | 3 | 4 | CIS140 | Policy |
 Holyoke Community College Holyoke | 3 | 4 | CSI 106 | Policy |
 Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills | 3 | 4 | CS 110 | Policy |
 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg | 3 | 3 | CSC 1100 | Policy |
 Framingham State University Framingham | 3 | 4 | CSCI 1TR | Policy |
MWCC | 3 | 3 | CIS 109 | Policy |
 Western New England University Springfield | 3 | 3 | General Elective) | Policy |
 Stonehill College Easton | 3 | 3 | CSC 102 Introduction to Programming | Policy |
 Springfield College Springfield | 3 | 3 | CISC 175 | Policy |
 Assumption University Worcester | 3 | 3 | CSC-117 | Policy |
 Gordon College Wenham | 3 | 4 | Free elective | Policy |
 Bay Path University Longmeadow | 3 | 3 | Science Elective | Policy |
 Lasell University Newton | 3 | 3 | ELC001 | Policy |
 Nichols College Dudley | 3 | 3 | MATH 170 Special Topics in Mathematics (3 cr) | Policy |
 Berkshire Community College Pittsfield | 3 | 4 | CIS-124 | Policy |
AIC American International College Springfield | 3 | 3 | ELE1009- General Elective | Policy |
 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams | 3 | 3 | CSCI 121 Programming in Java I | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | CICS 110 | Policy | |
 Boston University Boston | 4 | 4 | CAS CS 111 | Policy |
 Northeastern University Boston | 4 | 4 | CS1990 | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | CS 110 | Policy | |
| 4 | 4 | COMP.1010 COMP 1030L | Policy | |
BHCC | 4 | 4 | CSC-239 | Policy |
 Tufts University Medford | 4 | 3 | COMP 005 (If both Computer Science A and Computer Science Principles are taken, only one receives credit. Awards general credit for Engineering students; does not satisfy Engineering course requirements.) | Policy |
 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester | 4 | 3 | CS 1000 | Policy |
 Bentley University Waltham | 4 | 3 | CS 180 | Policy |
 Emerson College Boston | 4 | 4 | General Elective | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | CPS 101 | Policy | |
 Massasoit Community College Brockton | 4 | — | CTIM 157 | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | COMP1000 | Policy | |
 MCPHS University Boston | 4 | — | — | Policy |
 Endicott College Beverly | 4 | 3 | CSC101 | Policy |
 College of the Holy Cross Worcester | 4 | 1 | — | Policy |
 Clark University Worcester | 4 | 4 | CSCI 099: Computers in Our World | Policy |
 Cape Cod Community College West Barnstable | 4 | 3 | CSC 110 | Policy |
 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
WC Williams College Williamstown | 4 | — | CSCI 134 | Policy |
 Emmanuel College Boston | 4 | 4 | FREE*ELEC | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | COMP 115 | Policy | |
 Lesley University Cambridge | 4 | 3 | — | Policy |
NECM | 4 | 2 | — | Policy |
 Montserrat College of Art Beverly | 4 | 3 | — | Policy |
 Brandeis University Waltham | 5 | 4 | COSI 10a | Policy |
 Wellesley College Wellesley | 5 | 1 | CS 111 | Policy |
AP Computer Science A credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts colleges give credit for AP Computer Science A?+
55 colleges in Massachusetts publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Computer Science A. 28 of them (51%) award credit at a score of 3, 25 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 Massachusetts?+
3. Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as COMP 151 or CS Free Elective. 28 Massachusetts colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Massachusetts?+
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 Massachusetts AP credit policies?+
55 of the 55 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.