AP Music Theory credit at Virginia colleges
Every Virginia college with a published AP Music Theory credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
35 of 46 Virginia colleges (76%) award credit for AP Music Theory at a score of 3. 9 require a 4 and 2 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Liberty University (3 credit hours). 46 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Liberty University Lynchburg | 3 | 3 | MUSC 1XX Music Elective-Lower Level | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | MUS 2025 | Policy | |
 George Mason University Fairfax | 3 | 3 | MUSI 100 | Policy |
 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond | 3 | 3 | MHIS 115 | Policy |
 Old Dominion University Norfolk | 3 | 3 | MUSC 1ELE | Policy |
 Radford University Radford | 3 | 6 | MUSC 111 & 112 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy | |
 Norfolk State University Norfolk | 3 | 2 | MUS 145 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy | |
 Virginia State University Petersburg | 3 | 3 | MUSI 154 | Policy |
 Regent University Virginia Beach | 3 | 3 | Elective | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy | |
| 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy | |
 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg | 3 | 4 | MUTH-NOTMJ | Policy |
 Hampton University Hampton | 3 | 3 | Evaluated by Department | Policy |
 Laurel Ridge Community College Middletown | 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy |
PVCC Piedmont Virginia Community College Charlottesville | 3 | 6 | MUS 111, 112 | Policy |
LU Longwood University Farmville | 3 | 3 | MUSC 113 & 115 | Policy |
SVCC | 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy |
 Marymount University Arlington | 3 | 3 | MUS 901 | Policy |
 University of Lynchburg Lynchburg | 3 | 3 | Elective | Policy |
 Virginia Military Institute Lexington | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
 Bridgewater College Bridgewater | 3 | 3 | MUS 225 | Policy |
| 3 | 8 | MUS 111/112 | Policy | |
 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach | 3 | 4 | MUS 225 | Policy |
MECC Mountain Empire Community College Big Stone Gap | 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy |
 Wytheville Community College Wytheville | 3 | 8 | MUS 111, MUS 112 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | MUS 100T | Policy | |
 Averett University Danville | 3 | 4 | MUS270 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | MUSC 152 | Policy | |
 Ferrum College Ferrum | 3 | 6 | MUS 102 & MUS elective | Policy |
PDCC Paul D Camp Community College Franklin | 3 | 4 | MUS 111 | Policy |
RC Randolph College Lynchburg | 3 | 2 | MUSC 1103 | Policy |
 Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar | 3 | 3 | MUSC 163 | Policy |
 Patrick Henry College Purcellville | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
 University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville | 4 | 3 | MUSI 2000T | Policy |
 Shenandoah University Winchester | 4 | 3 | TAKE AND PASS FINAL FOR MUTC 115 | Policy |
 Roanoke College Salem | 4 | 1 | MUSC 150 | Policy |
 Randolph-Macon College Ashland | 4 | 3 | MUSC 101 | Policy |
 Mary Baldwin University Staunton | 4 | 4 | MUS 111* | Policy |
 Southern Virginia University Buena Vista | 4 | 3 | MUS 151 | Policy |
 Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney | 4 | 6 | Music 221/321 | Policy |
 Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg | 4 | 3 | CMUS 181 Music Theory I | Policy |
 Hollins University Roanoke | 4 | — | — | Policy |
 William & Mary Williamsburg | 5 | 4 | MUSC 201, MUSC 201L | Policy |
 Washington and Lee University Lexington | 5 | 4 | MUS 161,163 | Policy |
AP Music Theory credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Virginia 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 Virginia colleges give credit for AP Music Theory?+
46 colleges in Virginia publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Music Theory. 35 of them (76%) award credit at a score of 3, 9 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 Music Theory score that earns credit in Virginia?+
3. Liberty University in Lynchburg awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as MUSC 1XX Music Elective-Lower Level. 35 Virginia colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Virginia?+
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 Virginia AP credit policies?+
46 of the 46 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.