AP Physics 1 credit at Kentucky colleges
Every Kentucky college with a published AP Physics 1 credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
31 of 35 Kentucky colleges (89%) award credit for AP Physics 1 at a score of 3. 4 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Kentucky (3 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 Kentucky Lexington | 3 | 3 | PHY 151 | Policy |
 University of Louisville Louisville | 3 | 4 | PHYS 221 & 223 | Policy |
 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green | 3 | 3 | Physics 101 | Policy |
 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond | 3 | 3 | PHY 101 | Policy |
 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights | 3 | 5 | PHY 211 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | PHY 151 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | PHY 151 | Policy | |
 Murray State University Murray | 3 | 3 | PHY 130 | Policy |
 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg | 3 | 4 | PHYS 241 | Policy |
 Morehead State University Morehead | 3 | 4 | PHYS 201 | Policy |
 Somerset Community College Somerset | 3 | 3 | PHY 201 | Policy |
 Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | PHY 151 | Policy | |
 Bellarmine University Louisville | 3 | 4 | PHYS 201 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | — | |
 Madisonville Community College Madisonville | 3 | 3 | PHY 151 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | PHY 201 | Policy | |
 Big Sandy Community and Technical College Prestonsburg | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy | |
 Hopkinsville Community College Hopkinsville | 3 | 4 | PHY 151 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy | |
 Asbury University Wilmore | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy |
TMU Thomas More University Crestview Hills | 3 | 3 | PHY 121 | Policy |
 University of Pikeville Pikeville | 3 | 4 | PHY 223 General Physics I | Policy |
 Henderson Community College Henderson | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy |
 Union College Barbourville | 3 | 4 | PHYS 111 (3), PHYS 113 (1) | Policy |
 Spalding University Louisville | 3 | 3 | PHSC 101 | Policy |
ALC Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes | 3 | 4 | Phys 211 | Policy |
| 3 | — | PHY 301 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | SC 152 | Policy | |
 Berea College Berea | 4 | 1 | PHY 127 | Policy |
 Centre College Danville | 4 | 4 | PHY 110 | Policy |
 Georgetown College Georgetown | 4 | 4 | PHY211 | Policy |
 Transylvania University Lexington | 4 | 1 | PHYS 1014 | Policy |
AP Physics 1 credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Kentucky 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 Kentucky colleges give credit for AP Physics 1?+
35 colleges in Kentucky publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 1. 31 of them (89%) award credit at a score of 3, 4 require a 4, and 0 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 Physics 1 score that earns credit in Kentucky?+
3. University of Kentucky in Lexington awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as PHY 151. 31 Kentucky colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Kentucky?+
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 Kentucky AP credit policies?+
34 of the 35 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.