AP Physics 2 credit at Iowa colleges
Every Iowa college with a published AP Physics 2 credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
15 of 25 Iowa colleges (60%) award credit for AP Physics 2 at a score of 3. 9 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Northern Iowa (4 credit hours). 25 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls | 3 | 4 | PHYSICS 1512 | Policy |
 Saint Ambrose University Davenport | 3 | 4 | PHYS 204 | Policy |
 Upper Iowa University Fayette | 3 | 4 | PHY 113 and PHY 114 | Policy |
 University of Dubuque Dubuque | 3 | 4 | PHY 152 General Physics II | Policy |
 Grand View University Des Moines | 3 | 4 | Phys 102 | Policy |
 Wartburg College Waverly | 3 | 1 | PHY 102 General Physics II | Policy |
 Buena Vista University Storm Lake | 3 | 3 | Physical Science for gen ed | Policy |
NIAC North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Morningside University Sioux City | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids | 3 | 3 | PH 151 | Policy |
 Simpson College Indianola | 3 | 4 | PHYS 152 | Policy |
 Loras College Dubuque | 3 | 4 | PHY-211 | Policy |
 Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines | 3 | 4 | PHY-102 Physics II (with Lab) | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHYS1420 | Policy | |
 Clarke University Dubuque | 3 | 4 | PHYS 111 Elements of Physics II with Lab | Policy |
| 4 | 5 | Physics 1320, 1320L | Policy | |
 University of Iowa Iowa City | 4 | 4 | PHYS 1512 | Policy |
 Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | 4 | 5 | PHY 156 General Physics I PHY 157 General Physics I Lab | Policy |
 Drake University Des Moines | 4 | 4 | PHY 012 | Policy |
 Grinnell College Grinnell | 4 | 4 | Science Division | Policy |
 Dordt University Sioux Center | 4 | 3 | PHYS elective | Policy |
 Luther College Decorah | 4 | 4 | Physics 152 | Policy |
 Cornell College Mount Vernon | 4 | 1 | PHY 142 | Policy |
 Central College Pella | 4 | 4 | PHYS 102 Introductory Physics II (NS) | Policy |
 Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | 5 | 4 | PHY-172 | Policy |
AP Physics 2 credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Iowa 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 Iowa colleges give credit for AP Physics 2?+
25 colleges in Iowa publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 2. 15 of them (60%) award credit at a score of 3, 9 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 Physics 2 score that earns credit in Iowa?+
3. University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as PHYSICS 1512. 15 Iowa colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Iowa?+
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 Iowa AP credit policies?+
25 of the 25 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.