AP Computer Science Principles credit at Massachusetts colleges
Every Massachusetts college with a published AP Computer Science Principles credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
28 of 45 Massachusetts colleges (62%) award credit for AP Computer Science Principles at a score of 3. 16 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 1 at Williams College. 45 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WC Williams College Williamstown | 1 | — | Department assigns | Policy |
 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
 Quinsigamond Community College Worcester | 3 | — | — | Policy |
 University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth | 3 | 3 | CIS 800 | Policy |
 Bristol Community College Fall River | 3 | 3 | CIS 188 | Policy |
 Middlesex Community College Bedford | 3 | 4 | CSC 101 | Policy |
 Suffolk University Boston | 3 | 4 | COMP SCI ELECTIVE | Policy |
| 3 | — | — | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | CPS100 | Policy | |
 Merrimack College North Andover | 3 | 4 | CSC 1510 | Policy |
 Springfield Technical Community College Springfield | 3 | 4 | CSC 100/L | Policy |
 Worcester State University Worcester | 3 | 3 | CS-101 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | COMP1000 - COMPUTER SCIENCE I | 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 111 | Policy |
 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg | 3 | 3 | CSC 1010 | Policy |
 Framingham State University Framingham | 3 | 4 | CSCI 1TR | Policy |
MWCC | 3 | 3 | CIS 109 | Policy |
 Western New England University Springfield | 3 | 3 | CS 132 | Policy |
 Stonehill College Easton | 3 | 3 | CSC 800 Computer Science Elective | Policy |
 Springfield College Springfield | 3 | 3 | CISC ELE | Policy |
 Assumption University Worcester | 3 | 3 | CSC-113 | Policy |
 Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay | 3 | — | Free Elective | Policy |
 Gordon College Wenham | 3 | 4 | Free elective | Policy |
 Lasell University Newton | 3 | 3 | DSCI102 | Policy |
 Nichols College Dudley | 3 | 3 | BAN 101 Data Literacy (3 cr) | Policy |
 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams | 3 | 3 | TRCS100 Computer Science Elective | Policy |
| 4 | 3 | INFO 101 | Policy | |
 Boston University Boston | 4 | 4 | CS 101 or CDS DS 100 | Policy |
 Northeastern University Boston | 4 | 4 | CS1990 | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | CS 105 | Policy | |
| 4 | 3 | COMP 1990 | 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 |
 Bentley University Waltham | 4 | 3 | CS 150 | Policy |
 Massasoit Community College Brockton | 4 | — | CTIM 281 | Policy |
 Brandeis University Waltham | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Endicott College Beverly | 4 | 3 | CSC101 | Policy |
 Clark University Worcester | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | COMP 198 | Policy | |
 Lesley University Cambridge | 4 | 3 | — | Policy |
NECM | 4 | 2 | — | Policy |
 Montserrat College of Art Beverly | 4 | 3 | — | Policy |
 Wellesley College Wellesley | 5 | — | — | Policy |
AP Computer Science Principles 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 Principles?+
45 colleges in Massachusetts publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Computer Science Principles. 28 of them (62%) award credit at a score of 3, 16 require a 4, and 1 requires 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 Principles score that earns credit in Massachusetts?+
1. Williams College in Williamstown awards credit at a score of 1, counting as Department assigns. 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?+
45 of the 45 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.