AP Music Theory credit at Missouri colleges
Every Missouri college with a published AP Music Theory credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
26 of 34 Missouri colleges (76%) award credit for AP Music Theory at a score of 3. 7 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Missouri-Columbia (2 credit hours). 34 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia | 3 | 2 | Music 1211 | Policy |
 Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield | 3 | 3 | MUS 103 | Policy |
 University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City | 3 | 2 | CONSVTY103 | Policy |
 Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau | 3 | 3 | MM100 | Policy |
 Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis | 3 | 3 | MUS-101 and MUS-103 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | Music 2161 | Policy | |
 Park University Parkville | 3 | 3 | MU221& MU222 | Policy |
 University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis | 3 | 3 | THRY COM 1301 | Policy |
 Lindenwood University Saint Charles | 3 | 3 | MUS 14101 | Policy |
 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville | 3 | 3 | MUS 19-910 Fine Arts Equivalent | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | MUS Elective (ELEC 100) | Policy | |
MACC | 3 | 3 | MUS101 | Policy |
 Truman State University Kirksville | 3 | 3 | MUSI 101 | Policy |
 Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph | 3 | 3 | MUS117 | Policy |
 Webster University Saint Louis | 3 | 3 | Arts Appreciation (ARTS) | Policy |
 Southwest Baptist University Bolivar | 3 | 1 | MUS 1601 Music Fundamentals Lab | Policy |
 Missouri Valley College Marshall | 3 | 6 | MU 150 | Policy |
 Evangel University Springfield | 3 | 2 | MUSC 131 Introduction to Music Theory | Policy |
 Avila University Kansas City | 3 | 6 | MU 271 and MU 272 | Policy |
 Harris-Stowe State University Saint Louis | 3 | 3 | MUS 206 | Policy |
 William Woods University Fulton | 3 | 3 | MUS130 | Policy |
 Culver-Stockton College Canton | 3 | 3 | Mus 101 | Policy |
 Ozark Christian College Joplin | 3 | 3 | MU 1510 | Policy |
 Westminster College Fulton | 3 | 3 | MUSC 171 | Policy |
 Stephens College Columbia | 3 | 3 | MUS 100 | Policy |
 Logan University Chesterfield | 3 | 3 | Humanities Elective | Policy |
 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis | 4 | — | Students should take the departmental placement exam | Policy |
 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg | 4 | 3 | Music 1111 | Policy |
 Rockhurst University Kansas City | 4 | 3 | MS 1110 | Policy |
 Drury University Springfield | 4 | 3 | MUSC 117 | Policy |
 William Jewell College Liberty | 4 | 5 | MUS 120 and MUS 121 | Policy |
 Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City | 4 | 3 | — | Policy |
 Cottey College Nevada | 4 | 4 | MUS 110, 111 | Policy |
| 5 | — | MU150 | Policy |
AP Music Theory credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Missouri 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 Missouri colleges give credit for AP Music Theory?+
34 colleges in Missouri publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Music Theory. 26 of them (76%) award credit at a score of 3, 7 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 Music Theory score that earns credit in Missouri?+
3. University of Missouri-Columbia in Columbia awards credit at a score of 3, worth 2 credit hours, counting as Music 1211. 26 Missouri colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Missouri?+
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 Missouri AP credit policies?+
34 of the 34 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.